Theories of Consciousness
Consciousness January 23, 2003 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780199241286.003.0013 (opens in new tab)
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThe author argues that existing theories of consciousness are fundamentally misguided because consciousness is not a standard scientific topic. Rather than building theories as if consciousness were analogous to electricity or chemical valency, researchers should first reflect on their methodology. Doing so reveals that theories of consciousness attempt to answer a question that does not actually exist.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Argues that theories of consciousness are trying to answer a question that is not there. |
Abstract
Abstract There are many theories of consciousness around, and my view is that they are all misconceived. Consciousness is not a normal scientific subject, and needs to be handled with special care. It is foolhardy to jump straight in and start building a theory, as if consciousness were just like electricity or chemical valency. We will do much better to reflect explicitly on our methodology first. When we do this, we will see that theories of consciousness are trying to answer a question that isn’t there.