Consciousness science as a marketplace of rationalizations.
The Behavioral and brain sciences June 25, 2026 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x2510304x via PubMed
Summary
The field of consciousness science faces a problem: many theoretical claims about phenomenal consciousness in other beings cannot be tested. This lack of evidence, combined with the moral weight people assign to consciousness, risks turning the field into a marketplace of rationalizations where theories simply reinforce existing social practices and conventions.
Study at a glance
| Key finding | Evidential underdetermination and the moral significance of consciousness put consciousness science at risk of becoming a marketplace of rationalizations that reaffirm social practices and conventions. |
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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.