Analysis of Consciousness and Neuroscience Article by Francis Crick and Christof Koch - Essay Example

The authors present a wide spectrum of thoughts on the issue and describe several experiments that relate to the concept. The manner in which the arguments are presented need to be considered and their objectivity assessed, to make the overall argument worth consideration. The authors seem to have made several sweeping assumptions in order to narrow down the scope of the discussion.

Thus they have been able to offer the reader a wide spectrum of ideas to ponder upon. An example would be the statement that most neuroscientists do not attempt to study consciousness either because it is a philosophical problem or because such a study is premature. Discarding the philosophical aspects of the issue, the article goes on to argue that such a study is not premature. No valid reasons are given for discarding the philosophical aspects, even as there is no dispute about the need to study the issue scientifically in the present time.

I don’t think the issue can be approached purely from a scientific perspective without considering the philosophical aspects. The article dwells on several features and forms of consciousness and introduces the concept of “neuronal correlates of consciousness” or NCC. The force of the argument is substantially reduced by asserting that the assumptions are “tentative” and that “personal decisions” were taken to set aside several topics without further discussion. Further, it goes on to state that a precise definition of consciousness was premature and that it was “not profitable” to make certain arguments.

Such statements in a scientific, or at the very least an objective discussion, dilute its validity. However, visual consciousness, its uses, nature, characteristics, biological explanations, etc, discussed in the works by others in the field are used, with clear references that would guide interested readers to study the subject in detail. The subject of visual consciousness and its relationship with memory are also presented, along with outlines of some experimental results on classical blindsight, the online system, bistable percepts, electrical brain stimulation, the V1 hypothesis, the frontal lobe hypothesis, and gamma oscillations.

These experiments have been described in detail. The correlations sought to be established between studies on animals and the effects on humans are also examined in technical terms. The article does, therefore, succeed in achieving the stated objective of describing current experimental work in the area. Thus the writers have been able to provide me as a reader with a more exhaustive understanding of the topic as well as the magnitude of scientific studies that have been undertaken on it. The article also suggests some directions in which future experimentation should proceed and makes a forceful case for establishing the link between neurons and perception in humans.

The authors, however, go back to a consideration of the philosophical aspects of the issue discarded earlier, the problem of qualia, and then goes on to state that the conclusions based on the philosopher’s tools are valueless! The problem of meaning is also considered along with its complexities and relationship with consciousness. The article does convince the reader that the age-old search for an explanation of consciousness is active and there is a need for a study of NCC, though it does not provide convincing arguments about why the authors think the time is ripe now.

The writers have also managed to give me a new insight into the problem of the neutral correlate of consciousness. There has been a vast multitude of scientific research and debates on the subject. Yet, scientists are grappling the find a definitive solution to the problem. Also, they end the article with the hope that “some of the younger scientists will seriously consider working on this fascinating problem.” This has triggered in me the idea that mere scientific studies are not enough for us to actually understand the phenomenon.

It looks like we need to focus on the philosophical dimension of the problem as well and try to integrate the spiritual aspect into scientific studies. Human consciousness is not just a matter that can be understood by scientific studies without dwelling on the spiritual side of our mind and psyche.