The Missing Counterpart - Chalmers and Illumanesimo: The Hard Problem of Composite Consciousness and the Direction of Inquiry
Roberto Mucciarini
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) September 11, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.22713473 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Qualitative |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Key points | Argues that the limitations of neuroscientific measurements and theories do not by themselves constitute evidence of a non-material component of consciousness. Proposes a methodological approach based on the Illumanist account of composite consciousness, which investigates bodily conditions and qualitative manifestations together, and introduces a 'criterion of residual directionality' to identify regularities left unexplained by explicitly specified models, reserving causal attribution for a further stage of testing. |
Abstract
This essay develops a methodological proposal complementary to the research programme outlined in CEFA – Proposta di indagine. Taking the hard problem of consciousness as its starting point, it distinguishes subjective experience, the data through which we study it, and hypotheses concerning its origin. An examination of selected neuroscientific studies clarifies why the limitations of measurements and theories do not, by themselves, constitute evidence of a non-material component. Against this background, the Illumanist account of composite consciousness suggests investigating bodily conditions and qualitative manifestations together. The criterion of residual directionality is proposed as a means of identifying regularities left unexplained by explicitly specified models, while reserving causal attribution for a further stage of testing.
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