Self-Awareness

'''Self-awareness''' is the explicit understanding that 
one exists. It is the by-product of complex perceptions
and arises through self-identification of oneself.
In the repeated form it is related to [[Self-Consciousness]]. 
Furthermore, it includes the concept that one exists as an 
individual, separate from other individuals, with private thoughts. 

== Can organizations become self-aware? ==

Corporations, companies and organizations can become 
aware of themselves and their image among other
organizations and the public. A corporation
can be attributed with the full BDI (Belief-Desire-Intention) spectrum of
activities, it can (see [http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=can-a-robot-an-insect-or]):

* believe that its profit margin will soon increase
* believe that a certain company is one of its main competitors
* intend to release a new product this January
* intend to adopt a new sales strategy
* want to change its corporate image

If an organization is treated as an disembodied 
agent without physical body, then only those
abstract mental states are used to explain the
behavior which do not involve a body (no pleasure,
pain, feelings or consciousness).
Although corporations and organizations can be aware
of their own image, people do not think that corporations 
might be capable of [[Self-Consciousness|self-consciousness]].

In principle any organization or society of agents can develop 
a form of [[Collective consciousness|collective consciousness]] 
if it is complex enough.

== Can computers become self-aware? ==

In a limited sense computers are already self-aware of
their sub-systems. They know how much memory they have left, 
they are aware of what's happening on the keybooard, they are 
aware of what's on the monitor. 

Yet the computer as a whole is not self-aware. There is no 
perception of a self possible, because there is no perception.
A computer is not embedded in a perceive-reason-action cycle. 
Similarly, the internet can not become self-aware, because
it does not perceive anything, and it does not have a self.

There is no reason why an autonomous software agent
should not be able to become self-aware to a certain 
degree - wether it is an autonomous software agent or 
hardware robot. They have a self embedded in an environment,
and they perceive their environment.
Yet full self-awareness is probably not possible without
an understanding of language.

== Steps towards self-awareness ==

Awareness of oneself as an individual requires 
awareness of other individuals and individual personalities
in general. The perception, representation and identification 
of individuals is possible by an understanding of 
language. Therefore full self-awareness is probably 
not possible without an full understanding of language -
except the humans, no animal has developed full self-awareness
or self-consciousness.

The first steps towards self-awareness is a rudimentary
distinction between [[Self|self]] and non-self. The second
step is a coarse understanding of language and a crude 
perception of individuals in general. A robot
usually cannot recognize or perceive itself,
if it is not able to understand language.

In animals, information about the system
itself is so important that it is usually
processed and controlled by an own system,
the limbic system and the autonomic nervous
system, or in other words, largely by emotions.
"Information about the system itself" is
processed by the limbic system, and "information
about other things" by the cerebral cortex.

If robots are able to understand things
through language, then the point where
they start to distinguish "information about
the system itself" and "information about
other things" is the point where self-awareness
begins. To know the self means to know where
the self ends, and where the rest of the world
begins.

== Links ==

* SciAm article: [http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=can-a-robot-an-insect-or Can a Robot, an Insect or God Be Aware?]

* Wikipedia Entry for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-awareness Self-Awareness]

[[Category:Consciousness]]
[[Category:Self-Star Properties]]