Editorial: The end of qualia. Do we still need phenomenology in the science of consciousness?
Michela Balconi, Valentina Cardella, Richard Leighton Greene, Riccardo Manzotti, Gianfranco Pecchinenda, Pietro Perconti, Silvano Zipoli Caiani
Frontiers in Psychology October 28, 2026 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.2016636 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Key points | Argues that qualia shaped the science of consciousness by forcing attention onto whether explaining information access suffices to explain conscious experience, and that the qualia debate established experience as something any adequate account of consciousness must address. Notes that qualia also became central to a challenge to physicalism. |
Abstract
Qualia have played a key role in the development of a science of consciousness. They brought into focus the question of whether explaining the availability of information for reasoning, verbal report, and the control of action would suffice to explain conscious experience. A science confined to access consciousness would have to justify that restriction and explain what became of the experiential dimension. The debate about qualia helped establish experience as something that any adequate account of consciousness must address. Alongside this contribution, qualia acquired a further role. They became central to a challenge to physicalism.
In the evidence
This study is part of the evidence base for a synthesis in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.
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Argues that the qualia debate forced attention onto whether explaining information access suffices to explain conscious experience and established experience as something any adequate account of consciousness must address.
Synthesized
Comparable studies
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|---|---|---|---|
| Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From dopamine to salience to psychosis--linking biology, pharmacology and phenomenology of psychosis. | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How do the brain's time and space mediate consciousness and its different dimensions? Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness (TTC). | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The phenomenology of deep brain stimulation-induced changes in OCD: an enactive affordance-based model. | 2013 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Looking for the Self: Phenomenology, Neurophysiology and Philosophical Significance of Drug-induced Ego Dissolution | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |