Towards a Possible Definition of Consciousness

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Philosophy of Mind
• Theoretical Physics

Background:

• The nature of cognition and consciousness lacks a universal consensus.
• Existing definitions of life focus on self-maintaining chemical systems processing environmental information.
• Philosophical and scientific discourse often links life and cognition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel, generalized definition of consciousness.
• To integrate thermodynamic principles and quantum mechanics into the definition of consciousness.
• To offer a framework applicable to artificial intelligence and the hard problem of consciousness.

Main Methods:

• Generalizing the existing definition of life to include quantum particles.
• Formulating a minimal yet comprehensive definition of consciousness.
• Incorporating the concept of autopoiesis and information flow from the environment.

Main Results:

• Consciousness is defined as an emergent property of a far-from-equilibrium system of quantum particles, sustained by an autopoietic system, processing environmental information.
• Life is redefined as a far-from-equilibrium self-maintaining system of quantum particles processing environmental information.
• The proposed definition encompasses emergent cognitive functions like thinking and rationality.

Conclusions:

• The new definition provides a unified framework for understanding consciousness and life.
• This definition has potential implications for cognitive science, computer science, and artificial intelligence development.
• It offers a potential pathway to addressing Chalmers' hard problem of consciousness.