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How are qualia coupled to functions?

¹Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, SE5 8AF, London, UK

Trends in Cognitive Sciences

|May 22, 2003

Summary

Subjective experience is shaped by either behavior or neural activity, with neither consistently dominating. This research examines how behavioral and neural plasticity influence conscious experience, moving functionalism toward empirical testing.

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Neuroscience
Philosophy of Mind
Neuroscience

Background:

The nature of subjective experience remains a central question in philosophy and neuroscience.
Functionalism proposes that mental states are defined by their functional roles, not their physical implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether behavioral functions or neural activity primarily determine subjective experience.
To empirically test the doctrine of functionalism by examining cases of plasticity.

Main Methods:

Analysis of diverse cases involving behavioral and neural plasticity.
Review of existing literature on functionalism and subjective experience.

Main Results:

Evidence suggests that either behavioral functions or neural activity can predominate in shaping subjective experience depending on the conditions.
The study highlights the dynamic interplay between neural processes and behavior in conscious awareness.

Conclusions:

The findings support a nuanced view of functionalism, suggesting it can be empirically scrutinized.
Further research is needed to fully resolve the relationship between neural activity, behavior, and subjective experience.

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