Theories of Consciousness

In his talk about consciousness, Donald Hoffman discusses his theory about the relation between the human brain and conscious experiences. The cognitive scientist asks if we see reality as it really is or whether we see reality as we need it to be.

The mind-blowing speech explains how we as a species tend to misinterpret our perceptions (like how we used to think the earth was flat and the un-moving center of the universe). The talk about consciousness states that we construct what we see and also reconstruct reality. The speaker offers several examples of when accurate perception is not fitter perception (in terms of survival of the fittest and evolution). He wonders if our brains and neuroscience create the reality we experience for us.