The Hard Problem of Consciousness and Contemporary Approaches in the Philosophy of Mind

The article examines the problem of consciousness as one of the central issues of contemporary philosophy of mind. The evolution of approaches to the mind–body problem is traced from Cartesian dualism through logical behaviourism, the identity theory and functionalism to modern debates on the subjective character of experience. Particular attention is paid to the arguments of T. Nagel, F. Jackson and D. Chalmers, who formulated the "hard problem of consciousness", as well as to the alternative positions of D. Dennett and J. Searle. Scientific theories of consciousness – the global workspace theory and integrated information theory – are analyzed, and the philosophical significance of the problem for the development of artificial intelligence is discussed. The author argues that the study of consciousness requires an interdisciplinary approach that combines philosophical analysis with the achievements of neuroscience and cognitive science.