Consciousness and Complexity: the Cognitive Quest Consciousness and Complexity: the Cognitive Quest

Some implications of the view that mind is a suitably complex kind of process are investigated in various contexts. The underlying theme is that the behavior of complex systems cannot be adequately judged by that of simple systems. I rst present a personal exploration of the mechanistic account of mind in terms of non-technical considerations; then I present and criticize some ideas of Kripke, Nagel, and Jackson that challenge the mechanistic view. Next I turn to a brief synopsis of some of Dennett's recent ideas. Finally I ooer some critical comments on Dennett's views and suggest possible modiications. Abstract Some implications of the view that mind is a suitably complex kind of process are investigated in various contexts. The underlying theme is that the behavior of complex systems cannot be adequately judged by that of simple systems. I rst present a personal exploration of the mechanistic account of mind in terms of non-technical considerations; then I present and criticize some ideas of Kripke, Nagel, and Jackson that challenge the mechanistic view. Next I turn to a brief synopsis of some of Dennett's recent ideas. Finally I ooer some critical comments on Dennett's views and suggest possible modiications.