A new low: Reassessing (and revising) the local recurrency theory of consciousness
British Journal for the Philosophy of Science September 22, 2023 Benjamin Kozuch 3 citations
Local Recurrency Theory (LR) proposes that feedback loops confined to the visual cortex are sufficient for visual consciousness. Although LR has lost favor to theories that require higher-level brain areas, such as the prefrontal cortex, those competing theories now face evidence that those areas may not be essential. This article re-examines LR, clarifies its formulation, and reviews the evidence against it. It argues that none of the evidence refutes LR but instead encourages its refinement. The conclusion is that LR remains a strong candidate among neuroscientific theories of visual consciousness.