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Article 4861 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: davis@madeleine.ilog.fr (Harley Davis)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: "Consciousness" in French
Message-ID: <DAVIS.92Apr1144858@madeleine.ilog.fr>
Date: 1 Apr 92 12:48:58 GMT
References: <45675@dime.cs.umass.edu>
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In-reply-to: orourke@sophia.smith.edu's message of 29 Mar 92 05:42:14 GMT


In article <45675@dime.cs.umass.edu> orourke@sophia.smith.edu (Joseph O'Rourke) writes:

   I just read that "there is no word for consciousness in French."*
   Surely this is false?  What about conscience, connaissance?  
   My French is not strong enough to evaluate this...

   *Ornstein, "The Evolution of Consciousness"

After extensive discussion with native French speaking colleagues and
consultation of the most respectable French dictionary, the "Robert",
I can safely state that the French word "conscience" has exactly this
meaning, as well as the meanings of the English word "conscience".

Often, however, the French will use a more precise word to describe a
particular state of consciousness.

The word "connaissance" means "knowledge" or "awareness". It is
usually used in the sense of being aware of some fact rather than a
general feeling of awareness.  However, it can also be used to
describe the general feeling.

Here is a rough translation of the most general dictionary definition
of "conscience":

"CONSCIENCE: Faculte' qu'a l'homme de connaitre sa propre re'alite' et
de la juger; cette connaissance."

"CONSCIENCE: The faculty of man to be aware of his own reality and
judge it; that awareness."  --- Le Petit Robert, Socie'te' du Nouveau
Littre', 1972

The claim that French has no word for consciousness is therefore
unfounded.

-- Harley Davis
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