Mind the Gap: A Seven-Question Field-Map Highlights Consciousness Science’s Critical, Neglected, Terrain
PsyArXiv February 8, 2019 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/qu6js (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | The author argues that when five leading theories of consciousness are evaluated against seven crucial questions, they collectively score poorly: the median is 1.5 out of 7, and even the top-scoring theory, Orch-OR, achieves only 2.5 out of 7. The author contends that this seven-question approach can map all theoretical stances and identify critical gaps in the field. |
Abstract
I identify seven crucial questions for individual theories-of-consciousness, and apply them to five leading approaches (IIT, GNW, PC, HoT and Orch-OR), highlighting similarities and differences. Under simple quantification, the median score is 1.5/7 (or about 20%!), and the field-leader is Orch-OR (but still scoring only 2.5/7!). Beyond these introductory illustrations, the seven-question approach can map all theoretical stances, and identify what’s critically missing from today’s field.
Citations in the library
Cites 16
- Two neural correlates of consciousness Trends in Cognitive Sciences January 13, 2005
- Are the Neural Correlates of Consciousness in the Front or in the Back of the Cerebral Cortex? Clinical and Neuroimaging Evidence Journal of Neuroscience October 4, 2017
- The biological function of consciousness Frontiers in Psychology August 5, 2014
- The methodological puzzle of phenomenal consciousness. Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences September 19, 2018
- The Biological Evolution of Consciousness March 15, 2018
and 11 more in the library