Defining biological naturalism.
Behavioral and Brain Sciences September 17, 2026 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x25103853 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that biological naturalism is indispensable for a metaphysically neutral science of AI consciousness, but that most properties Seth explores may not be unique to living systems; therefore, a biological naturalist research programme requires an explicit definition of biological naturalism, and the paper discusses how to obtain one. |
Abstract
Biological naturalism, as explicated by Seth, is indispensable for a balanced and metaphysically neutral science of AI consciousness. However, most of the properties that Seth explores might not be unique to living systems. Therefore, I argue, a biological naturalist research programme in consciousness science requires an explicit definition of biological naturalism. I discuss how such a definition might be obtained.