Head to head
Advaita Vedanta vs Higher-Order Thought Theory
Advaita Vedanta Idealism (Indian Cosmic Consciousness) and Rosenthal’s Higher-Order Thought, compared field by field from their entries in the Atlas.
At a glance
- Advaita Vedanta belongs to the Idealism family in Kuhn's Landscape of Consciousness, Higher-Order Thought Theory to Materialism.
- Advaita Vedanta treats consciousness as fundamental; Higher-Order Thought Theory treats it as emergent.
- They give the same kind of answer on AI consciousness.
- On life after death, Advaita Vedanta says “Yes” and Higher-Order Thought Theory says “No”.
- On mind uploading, Advaita Vedanta says “Not needed” and Higher-Order Thought Theory says “Possible”.
- On meaning and purpose, Advaita Vedanta says “Cosmic/Ultimate” and Higher-Order Thought Theory says “Humanistic only”.
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Idealism
Advaita Vedanta Idealism (Indian Cosmic Consciousness)
Swami Vivekananda, Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, Sri Aurobindo …
The claim
In brief
Advaita VedantaThis theory posits that consciousness is the singular, nondual fundamental reality (Brahman) that constitutes all existence. Individual human consciousness is ultimately non-different from this pervasive Cosmic Consciousness, which generates first-person inner experiences (qualia). The physical world, including the body-mind complex, is considered derivative or illusionary.
Higher-Order Thought TheoryDavid Rosenthal holds that a mental state is conscious when its subject has a higher-order thought that he or she is in that state, a thought that need not itself be conscious and does not seem to rest on inference. Mental qualities such as the redness of a sensation exist whether or not they are conscious; Rosenthal explains them separately, by how they map the perceptible properties we can discriminate.
What consciousness is
Advaita VedantaConsciousness (Brahman/Cit) is the one nondual reality. Individual consciousness is identified as the all-pervading Cosmic Consciousness expressing itself through the body-mind complex.
Higher-Order Thought TheoryA state’s being conscious consists in the subject being aware of it by way of a suitable higher-order thought that one is in that state.
Big questions
Can AI be conscious?Both agree
Advaita VedantaConditionalIf consciousness is fundamental and pervasive throughout reality, then artificial systems could potentially instantiate or participate in cosmic consciousness, provided they meet the structural/complexity requirements for manifestation, though some idealists reject conscious AI based on current computer models.
Higher-Order Thought TheoryPossibleSince consciousness depends on having suitable higher-order thoughts about one’s own states, a system able to form such thoughts would meet the condition in principle.
Advaita VedantaYesSurvival is a fundamental doctrine in Indian traditions (e.g., reincarnation). However, survival often means the eventual loss of current first-person awareness as consciousness is re-absorbed into the ultimate Cosmic Consciousness.
Higher-Order Thought TheoryNoConscious states are natural states of an organism, so nothing remains conscious once those states stop occurring.
Advaita VedantaNot neededIf consciousness is already fundamental and eternal (Idealism), traditional concepts of survival or eternal life are already theoretically available, making technological virtual immortality moot.
Higher-Order Thought TheoryPossibleIf the relevant first-order states and higher-order thoughts were reproduced, the view gives no principled reason the copy would lack consciousness.
Advaita VedantaCosmic/UltimateBy positing consciousness as the ground of all being and ultimate reality, the theory inherently provides cosmic meaning and purpose. Evolutionary Idealist views also see the evolution of consciousness as a primary feature of world meaning.
Higher-Order Thought TheoryHumanistic onlyThe theory is a naturalistic account of mental states and carries no cosmic purpose.
Nature of mind
Ontology
Advaita VedantaIdealism (Ontological Idealism/Nondualism).
Higher-Order Thought TheoryPhysicalism (naturalistic functionalism)
Mind and body
Advaita VedantaThe mind and physical world are derivative or illusionary manifestations of the fundamental consciousness. The consciousness shines through the body-mind complex, but is not the body or mind itself.
Higher-Order Thought TheoryMental states, their qualities, and the higher-order thoughts that make them conscious are all natural states of the organism; Rosenthal expects neural correlates of consciousness to be whatever mechanism produces the higher-order awareness.
Fundamental or emergent
Advaita VedantaPrimitive (Fundamental). Consciousness is defined as the singular fundamental existent.
Higher-Order Thought TheoryEmergent
Qualia
Advaita VedantaQualia (first-person inner experiences) are generated by the all-pervading cosmic consciousness. Experience is categorized into intransitive awareness (pure consciousness, devoid of content) and transitive awareness (phenomenal consciousness, which is a reflection or semblance of real consciousness).
Higher-Order Thought TheoryMental qualities are fixed by their role in perceptual discrimination and occupy a ‘quality space’ that mirrors the similarities among perceptible properties. Because these qualities do not depend on consciousness, a sensation can have qualitative character without being conscious, as in subliminal perception.
How it works
Mechanism
Advaita VedantaNon-duality, where the infinite, ultimate consciousness limits or expresses itself in manifold, seemingly diverse forms to create individual subjects of experience.
Higher-Order Thought TheoryA non-inferential higher-order thought that one is in a given state, which makes that first-order state conscious even when the thought itself is unconscious.
Where it is
Advaita VedantaOmnipresent and pervasive throughout reality. Consciousness is universalized as Soul.
Higher-Order Thought TheoryNot stated
What it does
Advaita VedantaConsciousness is the ultimate source and ground of all being. It governs causation and creates energy and matter. The existence of consciousness is its own explanation, needing no outside cause.
Higher-Order Thought TheoryNot stated
Evidence and criticism
Testability
Advaita VedantaSpeculative/Conceptual/Spiritual. The theory focuses on ultimate ontological reality, which is not typically subject to the scientific method.
Higher-Order Thought TheoryConceptually testable
Tests so far
Advaita VedantaNot stated
Higher-Order Thought TheoryNot stated
Criticisms
Advaita VedantaCriticized for being anti-physicalist and relying on religious tradition. It faces the challenge of explaining how the physical world emerges or is derived from fundamental consciousness, an odd idea alien to common life experiences. It is contrasted with other Indian schools like GV Vedanta, which has differences regarding the ontological reality of matter and individual selves.
Higher-Order Thought TheoryFirst-order theorists argue that higher-order awareness is an unneeded extra ingredient, and deflationists say being aware of a conscious state is like ‘smiling a smile’. Rosenthal replies that a deflated awareness cannot explain the contrast between conscious and unconscious states.
Sources
Key sources
Advaita Vedanta
- Consciousness and self in Advaita Vedanta, Swami Sarvapriyananda (2020)
- The Nature of the Human Person (Part 2), Swami Sarvapriyananda (2023)
- How consciousness becomes the physical universe, Kafatos, Tanzi, Chopra (2011)
Higher-Order Thought Theory
- Rosenthal’s Higher-Order Thought, Landscape of Consciousness, David Rosenthal (2005)