Question by Dorothy K: Why is consciousness not considered a general property of the entire brain?
This one just confuses me. I understand that it isn’t a property of the entire brain, but I’m not sure how to go about answering the question myself, because I’m not sure what all I should include as being functions of consciousness- do I include the auditory system, visual system, etc.- all these are involved in consciousness since when we are conscious we are aware of the senses and perceptions caused by the senses and we are able to think about them and what they mean.
How would you answer this?
Best answer:
Answer by greenfly_23
I think the question might be relating to the fact that different areas of the brain control different things. Some parts of the brain are involved in conscious activities, whereas some are involved in unconscious activities. Therefore, consciousness is not considered a general property of the *entire* brain.
Involuntary, or “lower,” actions, such as heart rate, respiration, and digestion, are unconsciously governed by the brain, specifically through the autonomic nervous system. Complex, or “higher,” mental activity, such as thought, reason, and abstraction, is consciously controlled.
Anatomically, the brain can be divided into three parts: the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain; the forebrain includes the several lobes of the cerebral cortex that control higher functions, while the mid- and hindbrain are more involved with unconscious, autonomic functions.
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