Everything and nothing is conscious: default assumptions in science and ethics

Area of Science:

• Philosophy of Mind
• Animal Cognition
• Ethics

Background:

• Traditionally, the default assumption has been that animals lack consciousness unless proven otherwise.
• Recent proposals suggest reversing this default assumption regarding animal consciousness.
• Alternative default assumptions include consciousness in all living beings, those with nervous systems, or complex cognition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine various default assumptions about consciousness from scientific and ethical viewpoints.
• To evaluate the implications of different default assumptions for understanding animal minds.
• To propose the most appropriate default assumption for consciousness in scientific and ethical contexts.

Main Methods:

• Review of historical and contemporary philosophical and scientific literature on consciousness.
• Analysis of different default assumptions regarding the presence of consciousness.
• Ethical and scientific evaluation of the consequences of each proposed default assumption.

Main Results:

• Different default assumptions about consciousness are suitable for various scientific and ethical purposes.
• The traditional assumption of lacking consciousness is being challenged.
• A default assumption of consciousness may offer advantages in both scientific research and ethical treatment.

Conclusions:

• The choice of default assumption regarding consciousness has significant scientific and ethical implications.
• Reversing the traditional assumption to default to consciousness is a viable and potentially beneficial approach.
• A default assumption of consciousness is often optimal for advancing both scientific understanding and ethical practices concerning non-human beings.