Representationalism can connect neuroscience and philosophy.
Frontiers in cognition January 1, 2025 Albert Kok
Conscious perception is mediated by mental representations rather than being a direct encounter with reality. Representations are defined through a unified theory of long-term memory that integrates both explicit and implicit divisions, offering reconciliation between neuroscience and philosophy of mind. Conscious experience results from retrieving explicit memory representations from short-term memory. Intentionality is strongly linked to memory representations, capturing both its "what is it" and "what it is like" aspects. Notions such as emergence and qualia are integral to all conscious experience, reflecting memory-emotion interactions in neuro-affective networks. Concepts from philosophy of mind can be harmonized non-reductionistically with neurocognitive theories defining memory representations as multilevel networks of large-scale brain systems.