Consciousness science as a marketplace of rationalizations.
The Behavioral and brain sciences June 25, 2026 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x2510304x via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractTheoretical predictions about phenomenal consciousness in other beings are often untestable, creating evidential underdetermination. Combined with the moral weight assigned to consciousness, this situation risks turning consciousness science into a marketplace of rationalizations, where theories serve to reaffirm existing social practices and conventions rather than being empirically constrained.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Consciousness science risks becoming a marketplace of rationalizations that reaffirm social practices and conventions due to untestable theoretical predictions and the moral significance of consciousness. |
Abstract
In consciousness science, theoretical predictions are often untestable, such as claims about phenomenal consciousness in other beings. This evidential underdetermination, in combination with the perceived moral significance of consciousness, puts consciousness science at risk of becoming a marketplace of rationalizations: a field that produces theories that reaffirm social practices and conventions.