What a "Landscape of Consciousness" Means for Neurology and Neuroscience.

A comprehensive, cross-disciplinary taxonomy called 'Landscape of Consciousness' organizes more than 350 theories of phenomenal consciousness across physicalist and non-physicalist traditions into 10 primary categories, including Materialism, Non-Reductive Physicalism, Quantum & Dimensions, Information, Panpsychisms, Monisms, Dualisms, Idealisms, and Anomalous & Altered States. Materialism, the largest category, contains 12 subcategories such as Neurobiological, Computational & Functionalism, and Embodied & Enactive. The taxonomy aims to encourage novel thinking among medical practitioners and neuroscientists by presenting theories neutrally in their authors' words. Two central theses are that understanding phenomenal consciousness should seek expansive yet rational diversity, and that issues like AI consciousness and free will depend on particular theories of consciousness.

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Abstract

To gather (almost) all (reasonable) theories of phenomenal consciousness, describe them neutrally (largely in the words of their authors), and organize them in a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary taxonomy of categories-"Landscape of Consciousness." Perhaps the process can encourage novel ways of thinking among medical (psychiatry/neurology) practitioners and neuroscientists. Landscape organizes more than 350 explanations of phenomenal consciousness across physicalist and non-physicalist traditions. There are 10 primary categories: Materialism. Non-Reductive Physicalism. Quantum & Dimensions. Information. Panpsychisms. Monisms. Dualisms. Idealisms. Anomalous & Altered States. Materialism, with the largest number of theories by far, has 12 subcategories: Philosophical. Eliminative/Illusionism. Neurobiological. Electromagnetic Field. Computational & Functionalism. Homeostatic & Affective. Embodied & Enactive. Relational. First-order. Higher-order. Language. Phylogenetic/Evolutionary. Representative theories are here summarized as (non-exhaustive) examples. The Landscape of Consciousness is a work-in-process-permanently. Two central theses: (i) understanding phenomenal consciousness at this point should not be restricted to selected ways of thinking or constrained by approved modes of knowing, but should rather seek expansive yet rational diversity, and (ii) issues of sentience, such as AI consciousness, virtual immortality, meaning/purpose, free will, life after death, etc., cannot be understood except in the light of particular theories of consciousness. Implications for psychiatry/neurology and neuroscience may be considered.