P M Θ and Φ -search for author

Many years ago I collaborated with TONY JAMES in Parkville in Australia, ?to generate theories of Practice (P), Mechanics (M), Theory (??) and Philosophy (Φ) to develop a multidimensional understanding of how different aspects of mind and consciousness are studied and applied across various fields.

I have lost contact with Tony and his philosophic contributions, since our days together in the Psychology Corps, ?and would welcome your assistance in rebuilding that collaboration to give credit to his profound contribution to a theory of applied consciousness.

The interplay between theory and practice, as well as the study of mechanics, is rooted in a long philosophical tradition that emphasises the importance of empirical evidence, systematic approaches, and continuous improvement. These concepts are intertwined in their goal to understand, explain, and improve the world through the application of models of Jung's Sensing, Thinking, Feeling, Perceiving, Judging and iNtuition (STFPJN) dimensions of personal differences..

The interplay between Practice (P), Mechanics (M), Theory (??) and Philosophy (Φ) emphasises the importance of empirical evidence, systematic approaches, and continuous improvement. These concepts are intertwined in their goal to understand, explain, and improve the quality of life as we COULD and CAN come to know it.

Key Consciousness Constructs:

(P) Practice The application STFPJN to empirical research and practical scenarios, such as understanding and measuring consciousness in humans and other animals, as well as in artificial systems.

(M) Mechanics The underlying neural mechanisms that generate consciousness.

(??)Theory: Consciousness mental models provide a theoretical framework to understand how consciousness arises from specific mental structures of information processing.

Φ (Phi): A measure of integrated information, quantifying the extent to which a system is conscious.

Approaches to a Theory of Consciousness:

A theory of consciousness seeks to explain the nature of conscious experience—what it is like to have subjective experiences or qualia. It addresses the phenomena of awareness and the first-person perspective we express in our selection of personal pronouns when we ask Claude or Chat GPT to drag out narratives that help construct our consciousness of chances, changes and choices in life.

The Key Questions:

• What is consciousness, and how can it be explained?
• How do physical processes in the brain give rise to subjective experiences?
• What is the relationship between consciousness and attention, perception, and memory?

There isn't a single author who has comprehensively integrated the relationship between (P), (M), (??), and (Φ) but some key contributors are Edward de Bono's Mechanism of Mind, Ned Herrmann's Whole Brain Model, James Grier Miller's Living Systems Theory, Nardi's Neuromorphic Types, George Kelly's Personal Construct Theory, and Carl Jung's STFPJN Dimensions.

However, some scholars and interdisciplinary thinkers have made significant strides in integrating multiple aspects of these dimensions in their work, particularly in the context of cognitive science, systems theory, and philosophy of mind.

1. Gilbert Ryle critiqued the Cartesian dualism of mind and body, introducing the idea of "category mistake" and emphasizing the importance of practices (what people do) in understanding the mind. He argued that mental states are better understood through observable behavior rather than internal mechanics.

2. Daniel Dennett.has written extensively on the philosophy of mind, blending theoretical perspectives with practical implications. He explores the mechanics of consciousness, intentionality, and cognition from a naturalistic standpoint, emphasizing the evolutionary and functional aspects of mental phenomena.

3. John Searle discusses the philosophy of mind by addressing the theory of intentionality and the mechanics of how mental states can cause physical states. He is known for his arguments against artificial intelligence replicating human consciousness (Chinese Room argument).

4. Maurice Merleau-Ponty integrates theory and practice by emphasizing the embodied nature of human experience. He argues that perception and bodily experience are fundamental to understanding the mind, challenging purely mechanical or dualistic models.

5. Andy Clark discusses the philosophy of mind through the lens of cognitive science and the theory of embodied cognition. He emphasizes the interplay between the brain (mechanics), body (practice), and environment (theory).

6. Patricia and Paul Churchland advocate for a philosophy of mind grounded in neuroscience, examining the mechanics of the brain and how they inform theories of mind and practice.

7. Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela developed the concept of autopoiesis and the biology of cognition, emphasing the self-organising and mechanical aspects of living systems as fundamental to understanding cognition and mind.

We seek collaboration in the construction of a Strategic Life Force (SLF) Theory that integrates practice (P), mechanics (M), theory (??), and philosophy (Φ) to provide a comprehensive understanding of consciousness and the mind, that explores the biological and cognitive mechanisms underlying consciousness, provides a robust theoretical framework to address key questions in the field, responding to the challenges posed by David Chalmers and Thomas Nagel.

• Chalmers is known for distinguishing between the "easy" problems of consciousness (explaining cognitive functions and mechanisms) and the "hard" problem (explaining why and how physical processes give rise to subjective experience).

• Nagel's famous essay "What is it like to be a bat?" emphasises the subjective nature of conscious experience and argues that an objective, physicalist account of the mind cannot fully capture this subjective aspect.