What this is

Self-consciousness is consciousness of oneself as oneself. This distinguishes it from awareness of what just happens to be oneself — as when you see an old photograph without recognizing yourself (PhilPapers summary; SEP: Self-Consciousness, Joel Smith). Such states are often thought to have first-person contents with special features.

Current conversations

• Self-consciousness in thought (the first person, “I”) — SEP §2
• Self-consciousness in experience (bodily and experiential self-awareness) — SEP §3
• Its conditions — SEP §4
• Infants and non-human animals — SEP §5

Suggested learning path

1. SEP: Self-Consciousness
2. Self-representational approach: Kriegel, Subjective Consciousness (in Readings)
3. Lectures: to research

My thoughts

Notes here.

Discussion

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Media

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Sources

• PhilPapers: Self-Consciousness · SEP
• Every page cites its sources; full credits on Special Thanks & Sources