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=== Unary predicate of organisms ===
=== Unary predicate of mental states ===
'''=== First variant:''' ===According to a first variant, a mental state is conscious if its content is available for rational thought and control of behavior.
'''=== Second variant:''' ===According to a second general variant of the unary predicate of mental states connotation of consciousness, mental states are conscious ''if we experience'' [[what it is like]] to be in the respective state, or ''alternatively'' if ''there is something'' [[it is like|what it is like]] to be in that state. A third, closely related but distinct notion would be to define a mental state as conscious if we know of the mental state's qualitative features ("Kenntnis der Erlebnisqualitäten" in German<ref name=MetzingerLexikon" />).
=== Binary predicate of organisms ===
=== Binary predicate of mental states ===
→Logical structures of the term consciousness
We first distinguish various different logical structures of the term "consciousness" that are being employed, such as the type of predicate and the class of referents.
Often, the term "consciousness" is being used as a unary predicate, i.e. it is a predicate that takes one "variable". This variable often describes organisms, persons, subjects or the like.
''Example:'' Consciousness in this sense could refer to whether a person is in a state of wakefulness, capable of processing and reacting to stimuli.
Consciousness is also being used as a ''property'' of mental states.
Intentional mental states can be conscious according to this conception, but also beliefs or sensory states such as sensations. This is closely related to [[consciousness#Access consciousness|access consciousness]].
The content of a mental state which generates the property required by this second variant is often claimed to be private (non-public) in the sense that it is only available for the person that exhibits this mental state.
The term "conscious" is also being used as a binary predicate, i.e. a predicate which takes two "variables". In one way of using the term, one of the variables refers to persons or organisms, and the other refers to objects of perception or thinking.
This connotation of consciousness includes both pre-conceptual [[attention]] of external objects or states of one's body, as well as conceptually structured consciousness of objects (e.g. in a description).<ref name="MetzingerLexikon" /> It is an ''intentional'' notion of consciousness, as according to this notion, consciousness is always about something.
= Meanings of the term consciousness =
