Physically Sufficient Neural Mechanisms of Consciousness.
Frontiers in systems neuroscience January 1, 2019 Matthew Owen, Mihretu P Guta
The concept of neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) is central to the scientific study of consciousness. Chalmers's influential definition holds that NCC are minimally sufficient for consciousness, but the meaning of sufficiency requires clarification. This article analyzes three relevant types of sufficiency—logical, metaphysical, and physical—and proposes a theoretical approach to consciousness studies based on the appropriate sense of sufficiency. The authors argue that their conception of NCC has important implications for research methodology, neuroethics, and the ongoing search for NCC.