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{{note|This page is an initial draft and needs to be improved and extended. You're cordially invited to help doing so.}}
This page lists various connotations of the term "consciousness" in use in scientific research today. The fact that so many different conceptions of this term are being applied highlights the striking contrast between the conceptual exposition and the familiarity of consciousness.<ref name="MetzingerLexikon">Metzinger, Encyclopedia entry ''Bewusstsein'', 2008</ref>
The fact that so many different conceptions of this term are being applied highlights the striking contrast between the conceptual exposition and the familiarity of consciousness.<ref name="MetzingerLexikon">Metzinger, Encyclopedia entry ''Bewusstsein'', 2009, in H.-J. Sandkühler (Editor), ''Enzyklopädie der Philosophie''. Hamburg: Meiner. </ref> Some of the distinctions below are from inspired by (Metzinger, 20082009).<ref name="MetzingerLexikon"/>
= Logical structures of the term consciousness =
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 [[consciousness#wakefullnessWakefulness|wakefulness]], cf. below.
=== 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.
This is closely related to [[consciousness#Access consciousness|access consciousness]], cf. below.
'''Second variant:'''
According to a second general variant of the unary predicate of mental states connotation of consciousnessconception, mental states are conscious ''if we experience'' [[consciousness#'What it is like to be' consciousness|what it is like to be]] in the respective state, or ''alternatively'' if ''there is something'' [[what consciousness#'What it is like to be' consciousness|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.
=== Binary predicate of individual beings ===
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 individual beings such as persons or organisms, and the other refers to objects of perception or thinking, cf. [[add LINKconsciousness#Consciousness in the intentional sense|consciousness in the intentional sense]]below.
''Example:'' A person is conscious of a red tomato.
The term consciousness is also being used as a binary predicate which refers to persons or organisms, on the one hand, and to their mental states on the other hand.
This is the case, e.g., if "consciousness" is taken to denote the [[attention]] of a person on his/her own mental states. Cf. [[add LINKconsciousness#Introspective consciousness|introspective consciousness]]or [[consciousness#Attentive consciousness|attentive consciousness]] below.
= Meanings of the term consciousness =
== Self-consciousness ==
Consciousness sometimes refer refers to the conceptually structured and reflexive awareness of one as a single, persistent person with certain beliefs, intentions, etc.<ref name="MetzingerLexikon" />
== Conscious mechanism ==
