On the relationship between problems in the philosophy of mind and methodological fallacies
Омский научный вестник: Серия "Общество. История. Современность" December 23, 2025 M. S. Sysoev
Philosophical problems about the mind—the mind-body problem, the unity of consciousness problem, and the binding problem—are closely interconnected and should not be treated in isolation. The author identifies two methodological obstacles in empirical consciousness research: the mereological fallacy and the fallacy of conflating levels of abstraction. These problems are classified by the types of relations they explain, divided into inter-type and intra-type, as well as vertical and horizontal relations. The unity of consciousness problem and the binding problem play a pivotal role in research on the mind-body problem, especially in the search for neural correlates of consciousness, with emphasis on vertical relations. Methodological errors underscore the relevance of this interconnectedness, which can impact hypothesis formulation and research directions.