The Phenomenal Character of Consciousness
Standpoints April 23, 2026 Martin Lipman
Consciousness, specifically phenomenal consciousness, is best understood through the notion of phenomenal appearance rather than through special properties called qualia. The subjective character of conscious mental states means they exist only from the perspective of the subject experiencing them, and a full description of such states must be given from that subject's standpoint. This approach aims to properly delineate the phenomenon of consciousness as such before attempting any reductive explanations, setting aside the mind-body problem for later consideration.