7. Information Theories of Consciousness
Human and Machine Consciousness March 7, 2018 DOI: 10.11647/obp.0107.07 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that information theories of consciousness fail because information is not a physical property and can be extracted from both conscious and unconscious brains, so they should be reinterpreted as physical theories. |
Abstract
A number of people have claimed that information patterns are linked to consciousness regardless of whether they occur in a brain, a computer or a pile of sand. The seventh chapter shows that this approach fails because information is not a property of the physical world and any given information pattern can be extracted from both the conscious and unconscious brain. Information theories of consciousness should be reinterpreted as physical theories of consciousness.