Confusions about Consciousness

Abstract

I am suspicious about the current enthusiasm for ‘consciousness studies’. Many people are now touting consciousness as the last unconquered region of science, and thinkers from many different disciplines are racing to find a ‘theory of consciousness’ which will unlock this final secret of nature. But I fear that much of this brouhaha is generated by philosophical confusion. In the end there is no special secret, and no special key is needed to unlock it.