What does it mean to say ‘I am’? Is the sense of subjectivity a delusion? Are only humans conscious? What about whales, AI, and electrons? How should we use our consciousness? How do we use our consciousness to make healthy decisions?
All these questions, and many others, will be examined by expert speakers in conversation with one another and with the audience. Perspectives from a wide spectrum of academic disciplines will be explored.
When:
29 January | 12 February | 26 February
5.30 – 7:00 pm
Where:
Fitzhugh Auditorium, Cohen Quad, Walton Street, Oxford, OX1 2HG
All University members, alumni, and their guests are welcome to attend. No registration is necessary.
29 January: What is consciousness?
Susan Blackmore (Psychology, University of Plymouth)
Why are we deluded about consciousness?
Paul Pettitt (Archaeology, Durham University)
What was consciousness in the Ice Age? Neanderthals, Cro-Magnons and the emergence of art
Ole Jensen (Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford)
An adversarial collaboration to evaluate theories of consciousness
12 February: Who or what has consciousness?
Philip Goff (Philosophy, Durham University)
Consciousness is everywhere
Heather Browning (Philosophy, University of Southampton)
Evidence for consciousness in non-human animals
Patrick Butlin (Global Priorities Institute, University of Oxford)
The case for AI consciousness
26 February: What should we do with our consciousness?
Iain McGilchrist (Psychiatry, All Souls College, Oxford)
What on earth are we doing here?
Chris Fletcher (English, University of Oxford)
‘I am!’: Literature and consciousness
Catherine Harmer (Psychiatry, University of Oxford)
The mind’s filter: Shaping experience and mental health
Organised and moderated by Professor Charles Foster (charles.foster@exeter.ox.ac.uk) and Professor Kerry Walker (kerry.walker@exeter.ox.ac.uk). Kindly sponsored by Exeter College, Oxford.
