Knowledge Tree
Theory of Consciousness
Also known as: TOC
Facts (31)
Sources
The Conscious Mind - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org 6 facts
claimDavid Chalmers proposes that a theory of consciousness should dispel epiphenomenalism without relying on interactionism.
perspectiveDavid Chalmers believes that an adequate theory of consciousness requires solving both the hard and easy problems, meaning science must discover not only brain states associated with conscious experience but also why and how those brain states are accompanied by experience.
claimA fundamental theory of consciousness should meet four criteria: it must fit the criteria of sensory/neurological influence and unification, be compatible with existing data, possess predictive power, and be elegant.
quoteDavid Chalmers stated he is "most likely to be entirely wrong" regarding his proposed constraints for a theory of consciousness.
claimA theory of consciousness must account for structural coherence, which refers to the internal structure of consciousness and the structural relations between qualia.
perspectiveDavid Chalmers believes that information will invariably play a central role in any theory of consciousness, though he remains uncertain whether this role is conceptual or ontological.
Moving Forward on the Problem of Consciousness - David Chalmers consc.net 6 facts
claimDavid Chalmers suggests that just as Newton's theory of gravitation explains why an apple falls by invoking a fundamental force rather than just correlating drop heights and times, a theory of consciousness should explain why brain states produce conscious states by invoking fundamental laws.
perspectiveDavid Chalmers suggests that before a theory of consciousness can be developed, researchers may first need to establish a proper formalism—such as informational, geometrical, or topological—to characterize experiences.
claimDavid Chalmers argues that his proposed theory of consciousness can provide a solution that goes beyond mere correlation to explanation, similar to how Newton's theory of gravitation explains macroscopic regularities.
claimDavid Chalmers asserts that an adequate epistemology is necessary to develop a detailed theory of consciousness, similar to other areas of science.
perspectiveDavid Chalmers expresses that he would consider a theory of consciousness successful if it achieved the same explanatory status as Newton's theory of gravitation.
procedureDavid Chalmers outlines a three-step process for a future theory of consciousness: (1) take the physical facts about a given system, (2) apply the psychophysical theory to these facts, and (3) derive a precise characterization of the associated experiences that the theory predicts.
the explanatory power behind the non-physicalist paradigm - Frontiers frontiersin.org 4 days ago 4 facts
claimThe explanatory power of a Theory of Consciousness (TOC) is defined as the degree to which the theory makes it intelligible why conscious states are formed under specific conditions.
claimThe predictive power of a Theory of Consciousness (TOC) is defined as the accuracy with which the theory states the conditions under which a physical system is capable of forming conscious states.
perspectiveThe non-physicalist paradigm has clear advantages over physicalism in developing a powerful Theory of Consciousness, supporting the initiation of a paradigm shift.
claimA Theory of Consciousness built on the physicalist paradigm has the potential to achieve high predictive power but fails to unfold explanatory power.
The Hard Problem of Consciousness | Springer Nature Link link.springer.com 3 facts
claimDavid Chalmers does not consider a priori entailment between phenomenal and physical properties to be a necessary requirement for his theory of consciousness, preferring instead to rely on a contingent principle to explain the relationship.
quote“Even in the science of the mind, much progress has been made. Recent work in cognitive science and neuroscience is leading us to a better understanding of human behavior and of the processes that drive it. We do not have many detailed theories of cognition, to be sure, but there are few problems of principle; the details cannot be too far off. But consciousness is as perplexing as it ever was. It still seems utterly mysterious that the causation of behavior should be accompanied by conscious experience. We do not just lack a detailed theory; we are in the dark about what a theory of consciousness would even look like. […] We are entirely in the dark about how it fits into the natural order. This means that a correct theory of consciousness is likely to affect our conception of the universe more profoundly than any other new scientific development. Consciousness is both fundamental and unexplained; this makes for a potent cocktail”
claimDavid Chalmers argues that while cognitive science and neuroscience have made progress in understanding human behavior, consciousness remains mysterious and researchers lack a theoretical framework for what a theory of consciousness would look like.
The function(s) of consciousness: an evolutionary perspective frontiersin.org Nov 25, 2024 2 facts
David Chalmers Thinks the Hard Problem Is Really Hard scientificamerican.com Apr 10, 2017 2 facts
claimA 'consciousness-meter' would provide the data necessary to formulate a semi-mathematical theory of consciousness by correlating physical systems with conscious states.
claimDavid Chalmers suggests that a final theory of consciousness might not provide an intuitive 'Aha!' reaction, similar to how explanations of chemistry in terms of physics or biology in terms of chemistry do.
How does consciousness work? - Monash Lens lens.monash.edu Jul 4, 2025 1 fact
claimA 2022 paper by researchers in the Cogitate Consortium demonstrated that it is possible to predict which theory of consciousness a particular study supports based purely on its experimental design.
Hard problem of consciousness - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org 1 fact
perspectiveDavid Chalmers's theory of consciousness contradicts physicalism (also known as materialism), which is the view that everything that exists is a physical or material thing and can be reduced to microphysical components.
Quantum Approaches to Consciousness plato.stanford.edu Nov 30, 2004 1 fact
claimDavid Bohm and Basil Hiley (Bohm 1990; Bohm & Hiley 1993; Hiley 2001) proposed a theory of consciousness referring to an implicate order that unfolds into separate explicate domains of the mental and the material.
Non-physicalist Theories of Consciousness cambridge.org Dec 20, 2023 1 fact
claimEvery theory of consciousness possesses strange and counterintuitive consequences upon deep analysis.
Consciousness (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy/Fall 2025 ... plato.stanford.edu Jun 18, 2004 1 fact
referenceD. M. Rosenthal published 'A theory of consciousness' in the 1997 book 'The Nature of Consciousness', edited by N. Block, O. Flanagan, and G. Guzeldere.
The evolution of human-type consciousness – a by-product of ... frontiersin.org 1 fact
quoteAnil Seth and Tim Bayne stated in 2022: “One of the main reasons why ToCs (Theory of Consciousness—U.B.) ‘talk’ past each other is that they often have different explanatory targets, for they focus on different aspects of consciousness”.
Panpsychism - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org 1 fact
perspectiveDavid Chalmers believes information plays an integral role in any theory of consciousness because the mind and brain possess corresponding informational structures.
Global Versus Local Theories of Consciousness and the ... link.springer.com 1 fact
claimEdelman’s theory of consciousness relies on specific neurobiological bases.