@keithfrankish @jerlich good post 👌 I recently read Being You by @anilkseth , in which he makes the same analogy between the concepts of life and consciousness. It's indeed a very compelling way to look at it, especially if you realize that not too long ago researchers were in fact looking for the essence of life in the same way that some are still looking for the essence of consciousness.

@sebastiaan Thanks! Yes, methodologically it's the obvious way to go. If there really is some essence that this approach ignores, then that will eventually become apparent. But let's not assume it at this early stage!

@keithfrankish do you have some writing on the topic(s) for non-philosophers ?

I had the opportunity to go to a workshop run by Birch at LSE. Seems to me that they have a very clear goal in studying sentience: a sentient being Carries more weight in moral calculations. For the record, I support improving animal welfare, in particular in factory farming. Is your thinking about sentience and life also guided by ethical concerns?

@jerlich I agree that a sentient being carries more weight morally, and I too support improving animal welfare. My concern is with how we conceive of sentience. Many philosophers conceive of it in a way that makes it deeply mysterious and impossible to detect.

@jerlich Re writings: this is a gentle introduction to my view of consciousness https://www.philosophersmag.com/essays/222-the-lure-of-the-cartesian-sideshow
This recent lecture is also fairly accessible:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfUPucMNvJE

@keithfrankish thanks. A good read. I tend to agree that is is no Cartesian sideshow or theatre. But it’s still deeply mysterious how / why some things rise to conscious awareness and other things do not. Is there one control system in particular that generates awareness?