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Hierarchical approaches to understanding consciousness
1Department of Computer Science, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia. andrew.coward@anu.edu.au
Summary
Developing a scientific theory of consciousness requires understanding hierarchical descriptions, similar to physical sciences. This approach clarifies consciousness theories by mapping between macro and micro levels for accurate, comprehensible explanations.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Philosophy of Mind
- Theoretical Physics
Background:
- The nature and possibility of a scientific theory of consciousness are widely debated.
- Misconceptions about scientific theories, particularly from physical sciences, hinder progress in consciousness studies.
- Existing theories often lack a clear framework for relating different levels of description.
Purpose of the Study:
- To clarify the requirements for a scientific theory of consciousness.
- To address common misunderstandings regarding scientific theories in the context of consciousness.
- To propose a framework for a theory of consciousness based on hierarchical descriptions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of the structure of theories in physical sciences, focusing on hierarchical descriptions.
- Comparison of high-level (approximate) and detailed (accurate) levels of scientific description.
- Conceptual framework development for a theory of consciousness.
Main Results:
- Scientific theories involve hierarchies of descriptions, relating macro-level phenomena to micro-level details.
- Effective theories require mapping between these descriptive levels to achieve desired accuracy.
- Detailed descriptions offer accuracy but can be information-dense and incomprehensible.
Conclusions:
- A scientific theory of consciousness should adopt a hierarchical descriptive approach.
- Understanding the interplay between different levels of description is crucial for a robust theory of consciousness.
- This framework addresses limitations of alternative approaches to consciousness theory.
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