Functions of consciousness: conceptual clarification

The paper develops a conceptual framework to clarify theories about the functions of consciousness, organizing them along three dimensions: target (the kind of consciousness addressed), explanatory order (how consciousness and function relate causally or conceptually), and necessity/sufficiency (whether consciousness is necessary, sufficient, both, or neither for a given function). Applying this framework to existing scientific and philosophical theories demonstrates its usefulness for comparing, assessing, and potentially integrating diverse accounts of what consciousness does.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract There are many theories of the functions of consciousness. How these theories relate to each other, how we should assess them, and whether any integration of them is possible are all issues that remain unclear. To contribute to a solution, this paper offers a conceptual framework to clarify the theories of the functions of consciousness. This framework consists of three dimensions: (i) target, (ii) explanatory order, and (iii) necessity/sufficiency. The first dimension, target, clarifies each theory in terms of the kind of consciousness it targets. The second dimension, explanatory order, clarifies each theory in terms of how it conceives of the explanatory relation between consciousness and function. The third dimension, necessity/sufficiency, clarifies each theory in terms of the necessity/sufficiency relation posited between consciousness and function. We demonstrate the usefulness of this framework by applying it to some existing scientific and philosophical theories of the functions of consciousness.