Quantum of Consciousness: David Chalmers' Physical Mystery and the Ontological Process of Gilbert Simondon

A critical comparison of two philosophical strategies for using quantum concepts to understand consciousness shows they are fundamentally incompatible. David Chalmers invokes literal quantum processes, such as those in the 'Orch-OR' theory, to solve the 'hard problem' of explaining how subjective experience (qualia) emerges from brain physics. In contrast, Gilbert Simondon treats 'quantum' not as a subatomic particle but as a metaphorical unit of individuation in a process of resolving metastabilities within a 'pre-individual field.' Chalmers seeks a specific physical mechanism, while Simondon develops a general ontology of becoming where consciousness arises as a dynamic resolution of reality, irreducible to physicalism and open to the 'transindividual.' Simondon's processual ontology overcomes dualism and reification, resonating with 4E cognitive science and posthumanism.

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Abstract

The article "Quanta of Consciousness: The Physical Mystery of David Chalmers and the Ontological Process of Gilbert Simondon" is dedicated to a critical comparison of two fundamentally different philosophical strategies for utilizing concepts related to quantum mechanics in the understanding of consciousness. The focus is on analyzing how Chalmers invokes literal quantum processes (for example, within theories like "Orch-OR") as a potential solution to the "hard problem of consciousness," that is, to explain the emergence of subjective experience (qualia) from the physical processes of the brain. In contrast, Simondon’s approach is viewed as a radically different ontological program, where the concept of "quantum" acts not as a subatomic particle but as a metaphorical and conceptual unit of individuation in the key process of resolving metastabilities in the "pre-individual field" of potentials. The relevance of the study is determined by the persistent sharpness of the "hard problem" and the growing interest in non-reductionist and processual ontologies of consciousness. This study is based on a comprehensive comparative-analytical methodology within the philosophy of consciousness and processual ontology aimed at uncovering fundamental differences in the understanding of the role of "quantum" concepts in Chalmers and Simondon. The methodological framework includes the following key methods: conceptual analysis, comparative-contrastive method, method of critical interpretation and assessment. This methodology provides a rigorous and convincing justification for the central thesis of the article regarding the fundamentally different nature of "quanta" in the approaches of Chalmers and Simondon and the heuristic value of the latter for contemporary philosophy of consciousness. The novelty of the study lies in the systematic identification and analysis of the fundamental incompatibility of these two "quantum" approaches at the level of their goals, ontological assumptions, and understanding of the nature of consciousness. It demonstrates that while Chalmers seeks a specific physical mechanism in quantum mechanics to explain the emergence of subjectivity, Simondon develops a general philosophical ontology of becoming, in which consciousness arises as one of the levels of dynamic resolution of reality, not reducible to physicalist foundations and fundamentally open to the "transindividual." Such a contrasting analysis not only reveals the limitations of popular "quantum theories of consciousness" but also exposes the heuristic strength of Simondon’s processual ontology. The latter overcomes dualism and reification of consciousness, interpreting it as an embodied, continuously becoming phenomenon, resonating with contemporary 4E-cognitive science and posthumanism.