A Compositional Model of Consciousness based on Consciousness-Only
arXiv Preprint Archive – July 31, 2020
Source: arXiv
Summary
A groundbreaking approach flips traditional consciousness studies on their head by treating consciousness as fundamental rather than derivative. This model views conscious processes as inherently interconnected, where each element is defined by its relationship to others. Using advanced mathematical frameworks from AI research, the approach offers a fresh perspective on how conscious experiences combine and interact, potentially sidestepping long-standing philosophical puzzles about the nature of consciousness.
Abstract
Scientific studies of consciousness rely on objects whose existence is assumed to be independent of any consciousness. On the contrary, we assume consciousness to be fundamental, and that one of the main features of consciousness is characterized as being other-dependent. We set up a framework which naturally subsumes this feature by defining a compact closed category where morphisms represent conscious processes. These morphisms are a composition of a set of generators, each being specified by their relations with other generators, and therefore co-dependent. The framework is general enough and fits well into a compositional model of consciousness. Interestingly, we also show how our proposal may become a step towards avoiding the hard problem of consciousness, and thereby address the combination problem of conscious experiences.