The Hard Problem of consciousness asks why physical processes give rise to subjective experience rather than proceeding without phenomenal character. In simpler terms, it asks why it feels like something to perceive, hurt, or want. The question rests on the assumption that the same functional processes could occur in the absence of experience. This paper rejects that assumption. The account is...
Living systems maintain themselves against dissolution under irreversible thermodynamic constraint. As some of these systems develop increasing internal coherence, they become more complex, and their coordination demands increase. In sufficiently complex systems, coordination is globally integrated, self-relevant, and valenced. This paper argues that consciousness is this coordination....