Consciousness as a Subsystem
8 April 2026
An essay suggesting that consciousness is a limited subsystem of the brain. and that several instinctive ways of thinking about consciousness are wrong.
Welcome
I write about the big picture: what the world is like, what matters, and what we should do.
At the centre of the project is the question of how to act. I explore this by treating morality as part of practical thinking, and by developing a form of utilitarianism centred on conscious experience, within a naturalistic view of the world.
Start Here
If you are new to the site, these essays introduce the main lines of thought:
The Architecture of Utilitarianism
Philosophy and the Big Picture
These move from questions of practical reason and morality, through value and consciousness, to a naturalistic outlook and a comprehensive worldview.
This Site
See About for my central ideas and biography, and Blog for my posts. The Blog combines my own writings and my notes on favourite books. The Blog page shows all my posts since 2021, most recent first. My writing lists favourite posts, and writings by subject. Book notes lists books reviewed.
There are six separate pages with summaries of my Key Ideas – on Practical Reason, Utilitarianism , Effective Altruism, Consciousness, Naturalism and The Big Picture.
There is also a page on favourite Podcasts and a page with Links.
My aim with the website is to set out my ideas and to share books and resources that I recommend.