Structural qualia: a solution to the hard problem of consciousness
The hard problem of consciousness has been often claimed to be unsolvable by the methods of traditional empirical sciences. It has been argued that all the objects of empirical sciences can be fully analyzed in structural terms but that consciousness is (or has) something over and above its structur...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2014-03-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00237/full |
| _version_ | 1819062847983845376 |
|---|---|
| author | Kristjan eLoorits |
| author_facet | Kristjan eLoorits |
| author_sort | Kristjan eLoorits |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The hard problem of consciousness has been often claimed to be unsolvable by the methods of traditional empirical sciences. It has been argued that all the objects of empirical sciences can be fully analyzed in structural terms but that consciousness is (or has) something over and above its structure. However, modern neuroscience has introduced a theoretical framework in which also the apparently non-structural aspects of consciousness, namely the so called qualia or qualitative properties, can be analyzed in structural terms. That framework allows us to see qualia as something compositional with internal structures that fully determine their qualitative nature. Moreover, those internal structures can be identified which certain neural patterns. Thus consciousness as a whole can be seen as a complex neural pattern that misperceives some of its own highly complex structural properties as monadic and qualitative. Such neural pattern is analyzable in fully structural terms and thereby the hard problem is solved. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T15:05:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-03264a8b25f141ea910ecd288eee9a4f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T15:05:18Z |
| publishDate | 2014-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-03264a8b25f141ea910ecd288eee9a4f2022-12-21T18:59:27ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782014-03-01510.3389/fpsyg.2014.0023779167Structural qualia: a solution to the hard problem of consciousnessKristjan eLoorits0University of HelsinkiThe hard problem of consciousness has been often claimed to be unsolvable by the methods of traditional empirical sciences. It has been argued that all the objects of empirical sciences can be fully analyzed in structural terms but that consciousness is (or has) something over and above its structure. However, modern neuroscience has introduced a theoretical framework in which also the apparently non-structural aspects of consciousness, namely the so called qualia or qualitative properties, can be analyzed in structural terms. That framework allows us to see qualia as something compositional with internal structures that fully determine their qualitative nature. Moreover, those internal structures can be identified which certain neural patterns. Thus consciousness as a whole can be seen as a complex neural pattern that misperceives some of its own highly complex structural properties as monadic and qualitative. Such neural pattern is analyzable in fully structural terms and thereby the hard problem is solved.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00237/fullConsciousnessPhilosophy of Mindqualiathe hard problemstructuralism |
| spellingShingle | Kristjan eLoorits Structural qualia: a solution to the hard problem of consciousness Frontiers in Psychology Consciousness Philosophy of Mind qualia the hard problem structuralism |
| title | Structural qualia: a solution to the hard problem of consciousness |
| title_full | Structural qualia: a solution to the hard problem of consciousness |
| title_fullStr | Structural qualia: a solution to the hard problem of consciousness |
| title_full_unstemmed | Structural qualia: a solution to the hard problem of consciousness |
| title_short | Structural qualia: a solution to the hard problem of consciousness |
| title_sort | structural qualia a solution to the hard problem of consciousness |
| topic | Consciousness Philosophy of Mind qualia the hard problem structuralism |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00237/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kristjaneloorits structuralqualiaasolutiontothehardproblemofconsciousness |