The Falsification Thinking in Consciousness Research
Yixue yu zhexue July 14, 2025 SHI Kai, HAN Yongjin
Consciousness cannot be definitively explained by dualistic theories that separate it from matter, nor by reductionist theories that equate it solely with neurobiological processes. This article argues for a falsification-based approach to define what consciousness is not: it is not a purely spiritual phenomenon, not merely a neurobiological process, and not the most fundamental component of systemic structures. Instead, consciousness may emerge as a product of complexity arising from dynamic interactions among neurons, or from interactions between neurons and the external world within large-scale complex systems.