EP 334 Worldviews: Joscha Bach

Consciousness functions as a second-order perception, a simulation of the self that creates a coherent vantage point for navigating reality. Unlike intelligence, which involves model-building for control, consciousness acts as a consensus algorithm, integrating distributed neural signals into a unified experience. Reality itself is a computational process where objects—including the self—are functional hallucinations or mental models used to simplify complex data for survival. Money operates as an emergent, artificial reward system that coordinates global human behavior, functioning as a non-biological AI. Ultimately, human meaning and values emerge from this shared agency, as individuals align their purposes within nested social structures—from families to civilizations—to optimize collective outcomes. This framework challenges the notion of physicalism, suggesting that consciousness is not a property of matter, but an implemented representational state essential for coherent, agentic behavior.