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Sapience, Consciousness, and the Knowledge Instinct (Prolegomena to a Physical Theory)

  • Chapter
Toward Artificial Sapience

Abstract

The chapter describes a mathematical theory of sapience and consciousness: higher mental abilities including abilities for concepts, emotions, instincts, understanding, imagination, intuition, beauty, and sublimity. The knowledge instinct drives our understanding of the world. Aesthetic emotions, our needs for beauty and sublimity, are related to the knowledge instinct. I briefly discuss neurobiological grounds as well as difficulties encountered since the 1950s by previous attempts at mathematical modeling of the mind. Dynamic logic, the mathematics of the knowledge instinct, is related to cognitive and philosophical discussions about the mind and sapience.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Air Force Research Laboratory Sensors Directorate, Harvard University Cambridge, MA, USA

    Leonid I. Perlovsky

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  1. Leonid I. Perlovsky
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fac. Engineering University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Saskatchewan, Regina S4S 0A2, Canada

    Rene V. Mayorga

  2. Air Force Research Laboratory, 80 Scott Road, Hanscom, Hanscom AFB 01731, USA

    Leonid I. Perlovsky

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Perlovsky, L.I. (2008). Sapience, Consciousness, and the Knowledge Instinct (Prolegomena to a Physical Theory). In: Mayorga, R.V., Perlovsky, L.I. (eds) Toward Artificial Sapience. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84628-999-6_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84628-999-6_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-84628-998-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-84628-999-6

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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