Consciousnessargues

Consciousnessargues is a term used in philosophy of mind and cognitive science to describe the activity by which conscious agents engage in reasoning about their own conscious experience and the nature of consciousness itself. The term highlights the argumentative dimension of conscious thought, in which beliefs, phenomenological reports, and theoretical commitments are justified and contested through debate or internal deliberation.

Origin and usage: The compound is a neologism that blends "consciousness" and "argues." It is not a formally codified concept with a single definition; rather, it appears in recent scholarly discussions and informal discourse to draw attention to the argumentative processes embedded in conscious thought and in discussions of mind.

Scope and manifestations: Consciousnessargues can refer to internal self-argumentation—presenting a position, weighing evidence, anticipating counterarguments—and to external discourse in which researchers, philosophers, or laypersons articulate and defend points about phenomenology, access consciousness, physicalism, dualism, or panpsychism. It often involves thought experiments and critique of theories, with attention to epistemic limits such as subjective bias and the knowledge of consciousness itself.

Evaluation and reception: As a term, consciousnessargues serves as a descriptive label rather than a theory. Some scholars find it useful to emphasize the dialogic, argumentative nature of conscious inquiry; others view it as too informal to merit formal use. The term remains unofficial and is not standardized.

See also: Consciousness; Philosophy of mind; Argumentation theory.