would

English translation: The doubt is about the causal link or mechanism involved

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

English term or phrase:	would
Selected answer:	The doubt is about the causal link or mechanism involved
Entered by:	B D Finch

18:46 May 13, 2019

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Linguistics / origin of consciousness in brain functioning

English term or phrase: would

Dear colleagues,
I was wondering about the use of the conditional in this sentence: “How and why this degree of integration would determine the subjective experience of being aware, we just don’t know” taken from the passage below about a particular theory of the origin of consciousness in brain functioning.

Might it be that the use of “would” convey that the author somehow is not completely convinced of this theory? In other words, would it be possible to say the same sentence using the indicative form: “How and why this degree of integration can determine the subjective experience of being aware, we just don’t know”, or would this rephrasing be incorrect?
Thank you so much for your help!
*******************

Being aware seems to involve a linking of differentiated parts in the brain. The overall perspective derived from this kind of pattern, as we’ll discuss soon, is called the integrated information theory of consciousness and proposes that some degree of integration—the linking of different parts of the brain—is needed for awareness of something to arise. For example, when we hear a sound and become aware of the felt texture of the sound, the brain has achieved a certain level of coordination of a range of areas at the moment we know we are hearing the sound. How and why this degree of integration *** would *** determine the subjective experience of being aware, we just don’t know.

haribert KudoZ activity Questions: 289 (1 open) (1 without valid answers) (1 closed without grading) Answers: 524
Local time: 09:06

The doubt is about the causal link or mechanism involved

Explanation:
The author is discussing the integrated information theory of consciousness, which they have said " proposes that some degree of integration ... is needed for awareness". His subsequent comment “How and why this degree of integration would determine the subjective experience of being aware, we just don’t know,” moves on to consider the question of causation/determination. So, they are not necessarily doubting the degree of integration, but saying that how (i.e. by what causal links or mechanism) that degree of integration would determine subjective experience remains unexplained. So, that leaves the possibility that it might be necessary to, but not determining of the subjective experience of awareness.

So, I think that the doubt introduced by the conditional only applies to the effect of the integration and how it works, but not to the premise about the degree of integration. While that doesn't mean that the author necessarily accepts the premise, they are not challenging it here.

Selected response from:

B D Finch
France
Local time: 09:06

Grading comment

Thank you so much, Ms Finch, for your clear explanation! I also wish to thank all other participants for their useful remarks and contribution!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

4 +1

might/could be constructed as

David Hollywood

it seems to be some kind of link between the two but we have no idea how that link operates

Daryo

The doubt is about the causal link or mechanism involved

B D Finch

4 -1

slight skepticism

Claudia Letizia

Discussion entries: 4

Answers

6 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

slight skepticism

Explanation:
I believe that both options would be correct and that there is a slight difference in meaning between the two options. I perceive the first variant as slightly skeptical. But I couldn't say for sure that the author meant to take a stance, it could be simply a matter of style.

Interestingly, somebody else opened a Kudoz for exactly the same sentence and specifically for the verb form used in this sentence just a few minutes ago in the language pair ENG>ITA.
Are you guys working together?

Claudia Letizia
Germany
Local time: 09:06
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Italian

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you so much, Claudia Letizia, for your help! Actually, I initially posted the question in the English-Italian section, but there doesn't seem to be a single answer possible...

6 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

might/could be constructed as

Explanation:
this is the idea

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2019-05-14 01:07:57 GMT)
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could be seen as

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Note added at 6 hrs (2019-05-14 01:09:02 GMT)
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there's a degree of doubt and incredulity

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2019-05-14 01:11:32 GMT)
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but still accepting the possibility that this might be the case

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Note added at 6 hrs (2019-05-14 01:16:23 GMT)
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although there's a marked degree of doubt

David Hollywood
Local time: 04:06
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 51

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you very much, David, for your contribution! I see, however, that maybe this sentence is open to "personal" interpretation, because there seems to be two slightly different viewpoints...

1 hr confidence:

How and why this degree of integration would determine the subjective experience of being aware it seems to be some kind of link between the two but we have no idea how that link operates

Explanation:
strictly speaking: we have no idea how/by what kind of mechanisms "this degree of integration" could "determine the subjective experience of being aware"

Obviously, it this possibility is even considered, there must be in the first place some indication that it could exist.

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Note added at 14 hrs (2019-05-14 08:47:30 GMT)
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or:

for this possibility to have been even considered, there must have been in the first place some indication that some link could exist between the two.

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Note added at 14 hrs (2019-05-14 08:59:54 GMT)
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that's a pretty common situation in any research: you stumble on a possible link between two phenomena, but you have (at first) no idea why or how this link between the two would operate.

Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:06
Native speaker of:

Serbian,

French

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you very much, Daryo, for your contribution!

22 hrs confidence:

The doubt is about the causal link or mechanism involved

B D Finch
France
Local time: 09:06
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 40

Grading comment

Thank you so much, Ms Finch, for your clear explanation! I also wish to thank all other participants for their useful remarks and contribution!

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you very much, Ms Finch, for your clear explanation!

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