The MECA SAPIENS definition of consciousness is not new. It was described more than three thousand years ago by Homer (the Bard, not the Simpson) in an famous tale, the encounter of Ulysses with the sirens.
Much of current research in Machine Consciousness attempts to replicate the inner perceptions, feelings, sensations and other representations of the mind in the hope of crafting a machine that experiences consciousness as humans do. Topics such as Phenomenal consciousness, Qualia, the Global Workspace, Cognitive Architectures and others define consciousness primarily in terms of how it is internally perceived. Replicating the inner representations of a mind in a synthetic brain is often characterized as the ultimate “hard problem" of consciousness.
The MECA SAPIENS approach to consciousness is different and simpler. In MECA SAPIENS, inner representations are not the ultimate indicators of consciousness. On the contrary, they indicate a restricted and suboptimal consciousness since these inner sensations are the result of extreme simplifications of neurological processes that are, themselves unconscious. This accounts for the “para-logical” and “non computational” characteristics of these mental artifacts.
MECA SAPIENS defines consciousness, without direct references to inner sensations, as an observable capability of a system that is independent of its internal mechanisms, namely:
The capability of a system, that is perceived as conscious, to modify its behavioral imperatives on the basis of evolving information about its self.
The key, here, is information rather than sensations, perceptions or stimuli. The information may come from an account of the behavior of similar beings or from direct experience. In the later case, however, the personal experiences must first be objectified and transformed into information concerning the behavior of a different “previous self”.
An ancient tale in Homer’s Odyssey summarizes wonderfully this concept of consciousness. The Odyssey relates the adventures of the warrior king Ulysses as he sailed home with his companions after having conquered the city of Troy. One of these adventures tells of their encounter with the sirens.
To return home, Ulysses and his companions had to sail near an island that had an infamous reputation. They had been told that mysterious bird-like creatures, the sirens, inhabited this island. Whenever sailors approached, the sirens would sing songs that were so beautiful that all those who heard them became possessed, turned their boats toward the island, crashed on its shores and drowned. To that day, all those who sailed near, heard the siren’s songs and perished. None returned.
Ulysses, learning of this, devised a plan. He told his companions to fill their ears with beeswax so that they could not hear the siren’s songs. He, however, wanting to hear the sirens, instructed his companions to lash him to the mast and told them that, whatever he did or said, they must not loosen his bonds until well past the island.
This was done and they sailed by the siren’s lair. As usual, the sirens sang. His companions, unable to hear, were unaffected and continued as before. Ulysses, however, hearing their songs, immediately wanted to jump in the sea, but, being tied to the mast, he could not. He frantically tried to undo his bonds, he pleaded with his companions to let him go, he ordered them to untie him … to no avail. As instructed, they refused. Eventually, the island receded in the distance. Odysseus was freed and all continued, safely, on their way.
This story describes consciousness as it is defined in MECA SAPIENS: behavior modification derived from evolving information.
The information, here, pertains to the behavior of similar beings (other sailors) in similar circumstances. Upon hearing the songs, their minds were affected. They wanted to crash their boats on the shore and, doing so, drowned. Ulysses and his companions translated this information concerning other similar beings to their own situation and applied it to themselves.
This information had a particular characteristic; it indicated that the innermost feelings and subjective representations of the individuals could not be trusted. It suggested that, in this situation, the inner representations of the self and its behavioral imperatives did not independently originate the behavior but, rather, were controlled by an external stimulus. Those who heard wanted to crash on the shore, their innermost feelings told them to do so and they “freely” decided to perish.
Here, the measures Ulysses and his companions took to protect themselves (beeswax and being tied to the mast) indicate that they also viewed their own innermost sensations as susceptible to manipulation. Their representations of their selves included an understanding that their own subjective imperatives could not be trusted. They accepted that their innermost selves were not necessarily the original and independent trigger of their behavior. Paradoxically, the fact that they perceived their own selves as not fully conscious made them become more conscious.
Combining the information about other sailors with this knowledge about the limits of their selves, they crafted a solution that physically bypassed their own behavioral imperatives (wax in the ears, being tied up) and would objectively modify their behavior.
This distinguishes MECA SAPIENS consciousness from definitions based on internal representations.
For those who define consciousness on the basis of how it is experienced in the mind, Ulysses and his companions were no more conscious than those who preceded them since he wanted to jump like those before him and his crew were simply ignorant of the songs.
From a MECA SAPIENS perspective, however, consciousness is observed from the outside as behavior modification resulting from information. This observation indicates that the crew was conscious because they used communicated information (not direct experience) to effectively modify their behavioral triggers. Thus, they sailed passed the sirens and did not perish.
Consciousness is defined by this relation between information and behavior. Odysseus was conscious because, paradoxically, he viewed himself as not fully conscious and took this knowledge into account. His self-representation included an assessment of his innermost states as being subject to external stimuli (the siren’s songs). He then logically applied his problem solving skills (his intellect) to the available information concerning his self and implemented a technique (being tied up) that circumvented his own behavioral imperatives and produced an observable alternate behavior.
This summarizes the MECA SAPIENS definition of consciousness and is the basis for the Blueprint to build a conscious machine.
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