Neither HOT nor COLD An Alternative Account of Consciousness

I identify three dominant positions in the philosophy of mind on the nature and distribution of consciousness: the exclusive HOT position, the inclusive HOT position, and the COLD position. I argue that each of these positions has its own rather counterintuitive consequence and, as a result, is not entirely satisfying. To avoid these consequences, I argue, a common assumption of the dominant positions ought to be rejected -namely, that to be conscious of one's mental states is to be conscious that one has them. I go on to show that once this assumption is rejected, an alternative account of consciousness -the SO account -emerges. I develop the SO account in the latter half of the paper, showing how it offers a plausible explanation of the difference between conscious and unconscious mental states.