Towards a characterization of minimal consciousness

Abstract

Intentionalistic explanations of infant behavior are underdetermined and their legitimacy depends upon whether there is independent motivation for the characterizations of consciousness that they entail. I survey several aspects of adult consciousness and consider whether these aspects might be attributed to infants. It is suggested that infants experience minimal consciousness, which is likened to the experience that underlies implicit information processing in a variety of domains. A characterization of minimal consciousness is the first step towards an account of the development of consciousness and intentional action.