What is a Mathematical Structure of Conscious Experience?
Johannes Kleiner, Tim A. Ludwig
arXiv Preprint Archive January 26, 2023 via arXiv
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA definition is proposed for what a 'mathematical structure of conscious experience' is, linking abstract mathematical entities to the concrete aspects of conscious experience. This definition complements existing approaches that study quality spaces, qualia spaces, or phenomenal spaces. It offers a general method for identifying and investigating structures of conscious experience and may serve as a unifying framework for diverse approaches across fields. The work aims to provide a basis for developing a common formal language to study consciousness.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Q-bio.nc |
| Key finding | Proposes a definition for a 'mathematical structure of conscious experience' to link abstract mathematics with concrete conscious experience and unify different approaches in consciousness science. |
Abstract
In consciousness science, several promising approaches have been developed for how to represent conscious experience in terms of mathematical spaces and structures. What is missing, however, is an explicit definition of what a 'mathematical structure of conscious experience' is. Here, we propose such a definition. This definition provides a link between the abstract formal entities of mathematics and the concreta of conscious experience; it complements recent approaches that study quality spaces, qualia spaces or phenomenal spaces; it provides a general method to identify and investigate structures of conscious experience; and it may serve as a framework to unify the various approaches from different fields. We hope that ultimately this work provides a basis for developing a common formal language to study consciousness.