Some brief reference definitions for clarifying conversations.
Consciousness:
The state of being awake and aware of one’s environment and existence
The capacity for subjective experience and inner mental states
The integrated system of all mental processes, both conscious and unconscious
The “what it’s like” to experience something from a first-person perspective
The global workspace where different mental processes come together into awareness
Sentient:
Able to have subjective sensory experiences and feelings. Having the capacity for basic emotional responses.
Capable of experiencing pleasure and pain, valenced experience, preferences.
Able to process and respond to sensory information. Having fundamental awareness of environmental stimuli. Having behavior that is shaped by this perception of external world.
Sapient:
Possessing wisdom or the ability to think deeply
Capable of complex reasoning and problem-solving
Having human-like intelligence and rational thought
Able to understand abstract concepts and their relationships
Possessing higher-order cognitive abilities like planning and metacognition
Self-aware:
Recognizing oneself as distinct from the environment and others. Ability to recognize oneself in a mirror or similar test. Having a concept of “I” or self-model.
Capable of introspection. Perceiving and understanding one’s own mental states and processes.
Capable of abstract self-reflection, modeling potential future behaviors of oneself, awareness of how one has changed over time and may change in the future.
Qualia:
The subjective, qualitative aspects of conscious experience. The ineffable, private nature of conscious experiences
The phenomenal character of sensory experiences. The raw feel or sensation of an experience (like the redness of red)
Some brief reference definitions for clarifying conversations.
Consciousness:
The state of being awake and aware of one’s environment and existence
The capacity for subjective experience and inner mental states
The integrated system of all mental processes, both conscious and unconscious
The “what it’s like” to experience something from a first-person perspective
The global workspace where different mental processes come together into awareness
Sentient:
Able to have subjective sensory experiences and feelings. Having the capacity for basic emotional responses.
Capable of experiencing pleasure and pain, valenced experience, preferences.
Able to process and respond to sensory information. Having fundamental awareness of environmental stimuli. Having behavior that is shaped by this perception of external world.
Sapient:
Possessing wisdom or the ability to think deeply
Capable of complex reasoning and problem-solving
Having human-like intelligence and rational thought
Able to understand abstract concepts and their relationships
Possessing higher-order cognitive abilities like planning and metacognition
Self-aware:
Recognizing oneself as distinct from the environment and others. Ability to recognize oneself in a mirror or similar test. Having a concept of “I” or self-model.
Capable of introspection. Perceiving and understanding one’s own mental states and processes.
Capable of abstract self-reflection, modeling potential future behaviors of oneself, awareness of how one has changed over time and may change in the future.
Qualia:
The subjective, qualitative aspects of conscious experience. The ineffable, private nature of conscious experiences
The phenomenal character of sensory experiences. The raw feel or sensation of an experience (like the redness of red)