Cartesian theater

E1036178

The Cartesian theater is a criticized philosophical model of consciousness that imagines a central inner stage where a homunculus observes mental representations, implying a problematic separation between mind and brain processes.

All labels observed (3)

Label Occurrences
Cartesian Theater model 1
Cartesian theater canonical 1
Cartesian theatre 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf criticized concept in philosophy of mind ⓘ
philosophical model of consciousness ⓘ
theoretical construct ⓘ
addressesQuestion where and how conscious experience occurs in the brain ⓘ
associatedWithPhilosopher René Descartes ⓘ
assumes privileged final narrative of what happens in the mind ⓘ
sharp boundary between unconscious and conscious processing ⓘ
category metaphor in philosophy of mind ⓘ
philosophical thought experiment ⓘ
coinedBy Daniel Dennett ⓘ
contrastedWith distributed processing models of consciousness ⓘ
functionalist accounts of consciousness ⓘ
multiple drafts model ⓘ
coreIdea a homunculus observes mental representations on an inner screen ⓘ
consciousness occurs in a central inner stage in the brain ⓘ
mental contents are presented at a single privileged place and time ⓘ
criticizedBy Daniel Dennett ⓘ
many contemporary philosophers of mind ⓘ
criticizedFor homunculus fallacy ⓘ
infinite regress of observers ⓘ
misleading spatial metaphor for consciousness ⓘ
postulating a single central place of consciousness ⓘ
reintroducing dualism ⓘ
deniedBy Dennett's multiple drafts theory ⓘ
describedInWork Consciousness Explained ⓘ
field cognitive science ⓘ
philosophy of consciousness ⓘ
philosophy of mind ⓘ
hasAlternativeName Cartesian Theater model ⓘ
linked to: Cartesian theater

Cartesian theatre ⓘ
linked to: Cartesian theater
implies existence of an inner observer ⓘ
linear sequence where unconscious processing precedes conscious presentation ⓘ
separation between mind and brain processes ⓘ
influencedBy interpretations of Descartes' views on mind and brain ⓘ
involves inner observation ⓘ
mental representations ⓘ
temporal ordering of conscious events ⓘ
metaphorFor central processing area in the brain where experience is displayed ⓘ
philosophicalStatus widely regarded as untenable ⓘ
relatedConcept Cartesian dualism ⓘ
central executive ⓘ
global workspace ⓘ
homunculus ⓘ
usedAs foil for non-dualistic theories of consciousness ⓘ
negative example in cognitive science ⓘ
yearCoined 1991 ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Cartesian theater → hasAlternativeName → Cartesian theatre ⓘ
linked to: Cartesian theater
Cartesian theater → hasAlternativeName → Cartesian Theater model ⓘ
linked to: Cartesian theater