Structural Constraints to Compare Phenomenal Experience

A formal mathematical model, inspired by Husserl's phenomenology, represents structural aspects of conscious experiences as layers that can be experienced in potentiality or actuality. The model shows that comparison among phenomenal experiences is only partial: some experiences are comparable, such as those carrying different aspects in actuality and potentiality, while others are not, such as those with the same number but different aspects in actuality. These results imply that the evolution of consciousness involves diverse modes of experiencing rather than an absolute scale across species. The methodology also clarifies how conceptual assumptions constrain mathematical structure, and how that structure constrains interpretations of phenomenal experience, making formalization transparent.

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Abstract

The article introduces a partial order structure to study the relations between levels and contents of conscious experience within a formal and mathematical model. Inspired by Husserl’s phenomenology, our account models structural aspects of experiences as layers that can be experienced in potentiality or in actuality, composing further experiences and imposing an order among them. From our simple set of assumptions and formal analysis we conclude that a comparison among phenomenal experiences is only partial. Some experiences are comparable (e.g. experiences that carry different aspects in actuality and potentiality), but others are not (e.g. experiences that carry the same number, but different aspects, in actuality). These formal results imply the evolution of consciousness as diverse modes of experiencing, instead of an absolute scale along species. Moreover, our methodology also elucidates structural constraints from conceptual assumptions to mathematical structure, and mathematical structure to interpretations about phenomenal experiences. This makes the mathematical formalization transparent, opening new avenues to explore the consequences of formal models based on our partial order layer structure.