[nathan_compton]

Every account of the universe is grounded in brute facts, for which there is no justification. That hardly means we can't claim to understand things. I would say we understand consciousness more or less in the same way we understand nuclear physics: we have a very compelling ontologically flavored justificatory framework which both allows prediction and makes theoretical sense. We know quantum field theory is not the right theory of the universe. We may never know the fundamental theory. But it would be ridiculous to say "we know nothing about how the nucleus works."

[JohnFen]

> I would say we understand consciousness more or less in the same way we understand nuclear physics

But we know what nuclear physics is. We don't know what consciousness is. I'm not asking how consciousness works, I'm asking what consciousness is.

[nathan_compton]

If you study enough theoretical physics, you'll begin to wonder what nuclear physics is, I can assure you.