We seek a satisfactory philosophy of mind based fundamentally on first-person introspection (on consciousness itself) which includes likewise a theory of concepts and language based on meaning and consciousness (but which nevertheless is an open ontological pluralism, rather than a strict subjective idealism). The organization of semantic memory will play an important role. We find that there is much valuable material found for this project to be found in the selection from work in cognitive psychology (with an important component of Gestalt psychology) expounded by John Sowa in his book Conceptual Structures. This work extends and consolidates many important past philosophical traditions.
However such a philosophy of mind has much to gain (methodologically) from the framework of general systems theory and specially from its embodiment in computer science - all this without emplying per se any kind of (neuro)physicalist reductionism/parallelism/functionalism. But category theoretic methods should play a central role in a truly scientific and philosophical general systems theory and computer science based approach to cognitive psychology and specially a theory of concepts and language. Foundational to this project is the work of Joseph Goguen and William Lawvere. Thus for example we attach great importance to categorical approaches to type theory, to institutions and Goguen's systems theoretic applications of sheaf theory (and hence topos theory). It is also interesting to explore the applicability of higher category theory and monoidal categories (which has an elegant application to quantum security protocols). Higher category theory and homotopy theory emerge naturally from ordinary category theory (cf. there is a canonical model structure on the category of small categories: the homotopy category makes equivalences of categories actual category theoretic isomorphisms, that is, we are considering the category of structures). A vital aspect of category theory is that it allows to capture simultaneously the bottom up and top down aspects of complex concurrent systems - important both in the study of consciousness and in computer systems (machine code vs. high-level languages). A problem with category theory is its dependency on the category of sets, something that is not really overcome in enriched category theory, higher category theory, internal category theory, etc.
But this categorical systems theoretic approach based on cognitive science is essentially a first-person intuitive introspective approach to psychology and the philosophy of mind and a continuation of a rich philosophical heritage. Its ultimate aim is soteriological (or psychotherapeutical) and identical in spirit and goal to original Buddhism: it is by direct scientific knowledge of consciousness that we are led to be able to let go and be free. However the psychology which can be found in the earliest substrate of the Pali canon which has been meticulously studied by Sue Hamilton in her 1995 book Identity and Experience is difficult to grasp due to its laconic incompleteness and many fundamental terms are used in different ways depending on context. It is clear that it is the spirit and meaning which was essential and that a more complete and thorough first-person based psychology was achieved by practitioners of the various buddhist traditions throughout the centuries and by the best insights and work of the western tradition of philosophy and psychology.
The expressions 'living in the moment', 'mindfulness' and those involving the 'now' have made their way into popular discourse. However these are very superficial and distorted ways of looking at some profound philosophical and scientific truths regarding consciousness: that the flow of consciousness includes the concurrency and interrelated streams of inner verbal discourse and inner visual imagination together with associated feelings and desire, all in complex feedback. This flow of consciousness is at the same time a kind of directed dynamic deployment of the storehouse of our network of concepts. Becoming progressively aware of this flux as it is nakedly in itself and observing it in a progressively detached manner - leads to its eventual cessation or transfiguration (inner silence, inner emptyness) into a timeless beautiful present. The nature of this detached and happy consciousness is not necessarily either that of a 'subject' in the sense of Foucault (there is no power structure or domination involved) or a 'soul' in the rationalist and scholastic sense (which, be it noted, is quite a distinct conception from neoplatonic and even original aristotelian theory). The power over one's own mind is completely heterodox and is incommensurable with social power dynamics (in is not power in the Foucaultian sense), in fact, this power is precisely the renunciation of all will of domination over others.
Our project employs a methodological neutrality or epokhê (cf. the ontological pluralism) and aims to be essentially a science of consciousness as it appears and is in itself and not a form of subjective or absolute idealism, philosophy of nature, metaphysics or theology. However we are radically opposed to and dedicated to the refutation of any form of psychology or philosophy of mind that rejects the foundational role of first-person conscious experience and any linguistic theory or philosophy of language which rejects the fundamental role of consciously apprehended meaning and its connection to concepts (see A. Wierzbicka's Semantic Primes and Universals for an account of the situation of much of 20th century linguistics); like Sowa we understand that there can be complex conceptual yet non-linguistic thought. It is precisely the rejection of consciousness or its essential nature or innate dimensions which is the true foundation of historical oppression, domination and totalitarianism.
Later on we will discuss the deep connection to ethics and how our approach involves a knowledge of the unity of consciousness and thus of physically separated /individuated consciousnesses.
We will discuss later how are approach relates to theories of symbolism and dream interpretation.
Also the question whether Hegel's phenomenology of spirit and science of logic can contain material of interest to cognitive psychology.
There are Mahâyâna sutras which suggest a higher 'physics' of consciousness analogous to modern 'unified theories' such as quantum gravity, supersymmetry, string theory, etc. but we are unable to say more about this at the moment. And indeed the natural (non-conscious) universe may be analogous to the conscious experience of some 'cosmic mind' which in turn may be associated to some unknown super-natural universe.