Theories of consciousness in early-modern philosophy
Advances in Consciousness Research August 7, 2012 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1075/aicr.86.16pal
Summary
The term 'consciousness' underwent a semantic shift in 17th- and 18th-century European languages, evolving from a theological and ethical context to one emphasizing self-knowledge in early modern philosophy and science. This study highlights the increased use of related phrases like 'freedom of consciousness' in various texts, indicating a broader application of the concept across political, religious, scientific, and philosophical domains.
Study at a glance
| Key finding | The word consciousness shifted from a theological and ethical meaning to one focused on self-knowledge in early modern thought. |
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Abstract
A semantic shift of the word consciousness (conscientia, conscience, Gewissen, Bewusstsein, coscienza) occurred in 17th- and 18th-century European languages. While in pre-modern times the term consciousness had been related to theology and ethics, in early modern thought, a new meaning was added to the term, somehow different from the original one. Early modern philosophers and scientists used consciousness to refer to the knowledge of Self. In addition, it is apparent that the syntagms relating to the word consciousness – as, for instance, freedom of consciousness, casus conscientiae – became more frequent in political, religious, scientific and philosophical texts. My contribution will analyse the occurrences of these semantic fields in some important philosphical and scientific texts and will examine their specific uses and contexts. Keywords: consciousness; conscience; bewusstsein; modern philosophy; philosophical dictionary