From consciousness to observation: rethinking what consciousness science explains
Mario S. Staller, Swen Koerner
Frontiers in Psychology August 26, 2026 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1762212 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Commentary Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that a systems-theoretical account of observation—as drawing a distinction and assigning a designation rather than passively mirroring a pre-given object—should inform how consciousness science reflects on its own theories, methods, and ethical implications, in response to a 2025 review of the field. |
Abstract
s (2025) review article offers a comprehensive, up-to-date self-description of consciousness science: it organizes the field's central theoretical approaches, reconstructs key methodological and institutional developments, and discusses the ethical, clinical, and societal implications of possible "success" in understanding and manipulating consciousness. We take up this invitation to self-reflection by foregrounding a systems-theoretical perspective on scientific observation. In this tradition, observation is not the passive mirroring of a pre-given object; it is the operation of drawing a distinction and assigning a designation (e.g. Luhmann, 1990Luhmann, , 2008;;Stichweh, 1999).
Citations in the library
Cites 11
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- An adversarial collaboration protocol for testing contrasting predictions of global neuronal workspace and integrated information theory PLoS One February 10, 2023
- Adversarial testing of global neuronal workspace and integrated information theories of consciousness. Nature June 1, 2025
and 6 more in the library