How experimental neuroscientists can fix the hard problem of consciousness.
Neuroscience of Consciousness 2020 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niaa009 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Consciousness Intervention Meta-problem |
| Key points | Argues that an interventionist experimental approach, using second-order interventions and invariant generalizations, can help move beyond the hard problem of consciousness. |
Abstract
For the materialist, the hard problem is fundamentally an explanatory problem. Solving it requires explaining why the relationship between brain and experience is the way it is and not some other way. We use the tools of the interventionist theory of explanation to show how a systematic experimental project could help move beyond the hard problem. Key to this project is the development of second-order interventions and invariant generalizations. Such interventions played a crucial scientific role in untangling other scientific mysteries, and we suggest that the same will be true of consciousness. We further suggest that the capacity for safe and reliable self-intervention will play a key role in overcoming both the hard and meta-problems of consciousness. Finally, we evaluate current strategies for intervention, with an eye to how they might be improved.
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Citations in the library
Cited by 12
- Predictive processing as a systematic basis for identifying the neural correlates of consciousness Philosophy and the Mind Sciences December 30, 2020
- Explanation in the science of consciousness: From the neural correlates of consciousness (NCCs) to the difference makers of consciousness (DMCs) Philosophy and the Mind Sciences December 30, 2020
- The nature of consciousness in anaesthesia BJA Open September 26, 2023
- Unifying biophysical consciousness theories with MaxCon: maximizing configurations of brain connectivity. Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience July 29, 2024
- Reasoning about conscious experience with axiomatic and graphical mathematics. Consciousness and Cognition October 1, 2021
and 7 more in the library
Cites 19
- Neural correlates of consciousness: progress and problems Nature Reviews Neuroscience April 20, 2016
- Distilling the neural correlates of consciousness Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews December 17, 2011
- Are the Neural Correlates of Consciousness in the Front or in the Back of the Cerebral Cortex? Clinical and Neuroimaging Evidence Journal of Neuroscience October 4, 2017
- 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder in military veterans, firefighters, and police officers: a randomised, double-blind, dose-response, phase 2 clinical trial. The Lancet Psychiatry May 1, 2018
- Are There Levels of Consciousness? Trends in Cognitive Sciences April 22, 2016
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