ABSTRACT

Consciousness is now a well-established field of empirical research. A large body of experimental results has been accumulated and is steadily growing. In parallel, many Theories of Consciousness (ToCs) have been proposed. These theories are diverse in nature, ranging from computational to neurophysiological and quantum theoretical approaches. This contrasts with other fields of natural science, which host a smaller number of competing theories. We suggest that one reason for this abundance of extremely different theories may be the lack of stringent criteria specifying how empirical data constrains ToCs. First, we argue that consciousness is a well-defined topic from an empirical point of view and motivate a purely empirical stance on the quest for consciousness. Second, we present a checklist of criteria that, we propose, empirical ToCs need to cope with. Third, we review 13 of the most influential ToCs and subject them to the criteria. Our analysis helps to situate these different ToCs in the theoretical landscapeand sheds light on their strengths and weaknesses from a strictly empirical point of view.

摘要

意识现在是一个成熟的实证研究领域。积累了大量的实验成果，并在稳步增长。与此同时，已经提出了许多意识理论（ToCs）。这些理论在本质上是多种多样的，从计算到神经生理学和量子理论方法。这与其他自然科学领域形成鲜明对比，后者拥有较少数量的竞争理论。我们认为，大量不同理论的一个原因可能是缺乏严格的标准来说明经验数据如何约束 ToC。首先，我们认为，从经验的角度来看，意识是一个定义明确的话题，并激发了对意识追求的纯粹经验立场。其次，我们提出了一个标准清单，我们建议，经验性 ToC 需要应对。第三，我们回顾了 13 个最有影响力的 ToC，并使其符合标准。我们的分析有助于将这些不同的 ToC 置于理论环境中，并从严格的经验角度阐明它们的优缺点。