Qualia as physical measurements: a mathematical model of qualia and pure concepts
arXiv Preprint Archive March 20, 2022 via arXiv
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA space of qualia is defined as a sober topological space whose points are qualia and whose open sets are pure concepts, carrying algebraic structure that models subjective time and logical abstraction. This structure parallels that of a space of physical measurements. The authors conjecture that qualia and measurements share the same nature, corresponding to fundamental processes that produce and store classical information, making the hard problem of consciousness and the measurement problem two facets of the same issue. The space of qualia does not depend on spacetime or a conscious agent but yields a derived geometric model of an observer. Intersubjectivity is established by relating observers in a way that yields a logical version of quantum superposition.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Physics.hist-ph Cs.ai Physics.soc-ph Q-bio.nc Quant-ph |
| Key finding | Qualia and physical measurements are conjectured to have the same nature, corresponding to fundamental processes that produce and store classical information, linking the hard problem of consciousness and the measurement problem. |
Abstract
A space of qualia is defined to be a sober topological space whose points are the qualia and whose open sets are the pure concepts in the sense of Lewis, carrying additional algebraic structure that conveys the conscious experience of subjective time and logical abstraction. This structure is analogous to that of a space of physical measurements. It is conjectured that qualia and measurements have the same nature, corresponding to fundamental processes via which classical information is produced and physically stored, and that therefore the hard problem of consciousness and the measurement problem are two facets of the same problem. The space of qualia is independent from any preexisting notions of spacetime and conscious agent, but its structure caters for a derived geometric model of observer. Intersubjectivity is based on relating different observers in a way that leads to a logical version of quantum superposition.