Minimal Set of Questions for Theories of Consciousness: Toward a Unified Explanatory Framework

A framework for organizing what a theory of consciousness should explain is proposed, based on seven theoretically neutral questions that are causally and functionally relevant and applicable across different systems. The framework emphasizes causation, arguing that causal relations cannot be fully captured by standard physical descriptions alone. An asymmetric causal structure is introduced to explicitly represent internal mechanisms and distinguish between variable- and structure-level causation. The framework is applied to analyze the Dual-Laws Model. Its aim is not to offer a definitive theory but to provide a common basis for analyzing and developing theories of consciousness.

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Abstract

A central challenge in consciousness research is the lack of agreement on what a theory of consciousness should explain, which makes it difficult to compare existing theories. We propose a framework for organizing explanatory targets of theories based on a minimal set of seven questions designed to be theoretically neutral, causally and functionally relevant, and applicable across different systems. We focus particularly on the role of causation based on the argument that causal relations cannot be fully specified within standard physical descriptions alone. Introducing an asymmetric causal structure allows internal mechanisms to be represented explicitly and helps distinguish between variable- and structure-level causation. As an example, we apply the proposed framework to analyzing the Dual-Laws Model. The aim of the framework is not to propose a definitive theory but to provide a common basis for analyzing and developing theories of consciousness.