Speculations on the nature of consciousness -- a neurological perspective

A collaborative work in progress

Given the scale of the challenge it should not be surprising that in the attempt to deal with the matter of consciousness, philosophers and neurobiologists, alike, face numerous barriers and are unlikely to find a comprehensive solution anytime soon.
For example, the word consciousness, polygamously wed to far too many meanings, has often stood in the way of agreement regarding the definition of the problem; the private nature of the phenomenon has dissuaded many from even approaching the matter and has convinced others that it can be approached in a purely external manner, and privacy be damned; the notion that, somehow, consciousness stands at the very peak of human abilities has often given rise to a paralyzing awe and to the belief that consciousness is beyond our scientific reach; impatience and the desire to cut through the above impedimentia have led some to conclude that not only is consciousness approachable, it is already perfectly elucidated; finally, there are those who think the problem does not exist at all, or that it is nothing other than the problem of mind; consciousness can be elucidated or not depending on whether the problem of mind is or is not elucidated.
Against this background my position is that the problem of consciousness exists and has not been solved yet; that it can be broken down into parts; that consensus can be generated regarding those parts; and that in spite of its private nature, consciousness can be approached scientifically.


A. Damasio, 'The Feeling of What Happens - Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness'

Discussion questions, in no particular order¹

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  So, what do we mean by 'consciousness'?
  
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  How does it manifest?
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  How, and why, did it evolve?
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  Is consciousness restricted to the human species?