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Consciousness as integrated information: a provisional manifesto
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. gtononi@wisc.edu
The Biological Bulletin
|December 23, 2008
Summary
Integrated Information Theory (IIT) proposes consciousness is integrated information. The quantity of consciousness relates to integrated information (Phi), and its quality is defined by informational relationships within a complex.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Neuroscience
- Philosophy of Mind
Background:
- Consciousness remains a complex phenomenon with ongoing debate.
- Existing theories struggle to quantitatively define consciousness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present Integrated Information Theory (IIT) as a framework for understanding consciousness.
- To define consciousness as a fundamental property of reality: integrated information.
Main Methods:
- IIT utilizes phenomenology and thought experiments.
- Defines integrated information (Phi) as information generated by a complex beyond its parts.
- Introduces Qualia space (Q) to map informational relationships and specify experiences.
Main Results:
- IIT posits that the quantity of consciousness correlates with the amount of integrated information (Phi).
- The quality of experience is determined by the specific informational relationships within a complex, visualized in Qualia space.
- IIT naturally accommodates observations regarding neural correlates of consciousness, such as system specificity and state changes.
Conclusions:
- Consciousness is equivalent to integrated information.
- IIT provides a framework that explains various aspects of consciousness and its neural basis.
- This theory has broad implications for understanding consciousness in nature.
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