A thermodynamic approach to the problem of consciousness.
Medical Hypotheses April 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2018.02.003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Proposes that qualia are self-organized structures built by exported entropy and that qualia are subjective because entropy-decreasing phenomena cannot be observed physically. |
Abstract
What is the nature of qualia? Why qualia are subjective? This article is an attempt to provide speculative answers to these questions based on what we know about thermodynamics. The proposed answer to the first question is that qualia are self-organized structures built by exported entropy. The proposed answer to the second question is that qualia are subjective because entropy-decreasing phenomena cannot be observed physically.