6. Physical Theories of Consciousness
Human and Machine Consciousness March 7, 2018 DOI: 10.11647/obp.0107.06 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that physical theories of consciousness tie consciousness to patterns in specific materials, unlike functionalist theories, and that these theories are analogous to ordinary scientific theories. |
Abstract
Chapter 6 discusses physical theories of consciousness, which link consciousness to patterns in materials (for example, neuron firing patterns). With physical theories the materials in which the patterns occur are critical - if the same patterns occur in different materials, they are not claimed to be linked to consciousness. Physical theories of consciousness are similar to scientific theories in physics, chemistry and biology.