The Travails of the HOT Theory of Consciousness

Abstract

It is a matter of extreme inquiry as to how a thing which is purely physical can conceive and develop conscious experiences. There appears to have a void in the marriage between physical (brain) and the mental (mind). Many theories try to bridge the vacuity between the two but two contemporary theories have emerged quite stronger and saner than others: a. the higher-order thought (HOT) theory and b. the anti-theories. The purpose of this paper is to trace the various evolutionary routes the theories of consciousness have taken and to elaborate mostly on the above mentioned two theories. The researchers have used descriptive and deductive reasoning to argue the points.