Skip to main content

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
Cancel
×
Home
Article
    • Aa
    • Aa
  • Cited by 31
  • Cited by
    Crossref Citations
    Crossref logo
    This article has been cited by the following publications. This list is generated based on data provided by CrossRef.

    Tsuchiya, Naotsugu and Koch, Christof 2016. The Neurology of Conciousness.

    Aru, Jaan and Bachmann, Talis 2015. Still wanted—the mechanisms of consciousness!. Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 6,

    Aru, Jaan Bachmann, Talis Singer, Wolf and Melloni, Lucia 2015. The Constitution of Phenomenal Consciousness.

    Brogaard, Berit 2015. The Constitution of Phenomenal Consciousness.

    Curtis, Benjamin L. 2015. The Constitution of Phenomenal Consciousness.

    de Graaf, Tom A. and Sack, Alexander T. 2015. The Constitution of Phenomenal Consciousness.

    Hohwy, Jakob and Bayne, Tim 2015. The Constitution of Phenomenal Consciousness.

    Keaton, Douglas 2015. The Constitution of Phenomenal Consciousness.

    Kemmerer, David 2015. Are we ever aware of concepts? A critical question for the Global Neuronal Workspace, Integrated Information, and Attended Intermediate-Level Representation theories of consciousness. Neuroscience of Consciousness, Vol. 2015, Issue. 1, p. niv006.

    Klink, P. Christiaan Self, Matthew W. Lamme, Victor A.F. and Roelfsema, Pieter R. 2015. The Constitution of Phenomenal Consciousness.

    Kozuch, Benjamin P. and Kriegel, Uriah 2015. The Constitution of Phenomenal Consciousness.

    Mahner, Martin 2015. The Constitution of Phenomenal Consciousness.

    Miller, Steven M. 2015. The Constitution of Phenomenal Consciousness.

    Opie, Jonathan P. and O’Brien, Gerard J. 2015. The Constitution of Phenomenal Consciousness.

    Panksepp, Jaak 2015. The Constitution of Phenomenal Consciousness.

    Revonsuo, Antti 2015. The Constitution of Phenomenal Consciousness.

    Tononi, G. and Koch, C. 2015. Consciousness: here, there and everywhere?. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Vol. 370, Issue. 1668, p. 20140167.

    van Boxtel, Jeroen J.A. and Tsuchiya, Naotsugu 2015. The Constitution of Phenomenal Consciousness.

    Bachmann, Talis and Hudetz, Anthony G. 2014. It is time to combine the two main traditions in the research on the neural correlates of consciousness: C = L × D. Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 5,

    de Graaf, Tom A. and Sack, Alexander T. 2014. Using brain stimulation to disentangle neural correlates of conscious vision. Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 5,

    Download full list
    ×
  • Get access
    Add to cart $35.00
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    Log in Register Recommend to librarian

On the correlation/constitution distinction problem (and other hard problems) in the scientific study of consciousness

  • Steven M. Miller (a1) (a2) (a3)
Abstract
<span class='bold'>Objective:</span>

In the past decade, much has been written about ‘the hard problem’ of consciousness in the philosophy of mind. However, a separate hard problem faces the scientific study of consciousness. The problem arises when distinguishing the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) and the neural constitution of consciousness. Here, I explain this correlation/constitution distinction and the problem it poses for a science of phenomenal consciousness. I also discuss potential objections to the problem, outline further hard problems in the scientific study of phenomenal consciousness and consider the ontological implications of these epistemological issues.

<span class='bold'>Methods:</span>

Scientific and philosophic analysis and discussion are presented.

<span class='bold'>Results:</span>

The correlation/constitution distinction does indeed present a hard problem in the scientific study of phenomenal consciousness. Refinement of the ‘NCC’ acronym is proposed so that this distinction may at least be acknowledged in the literature. Furthermore, in addition to the problem posed by this distinction and to ‘the hard problem’, the scientific study of phenomenal consciousness also faces several other hard problems.

<span class='bold'>Conclusion:</span>

In light of the multiple hard problems, it is concluded that scientists and philosophers of consciousness ought to (i) address, analyze and discuss the problems in the hope of discovering their solution or dissolution and (ii) consider the implications of some or all of them being intractable. With respect to the latter, it is argued that ultimate epistemic limits in the study of phenomenal consciousness pose no threat to physicalist or materialist ontologies but do inform our understanding of consciousness and its place in nature.

Copyright
COPYRIGHT: © 2007 Blackwell Munksgaard
Corresponding author
Dr Steven M. Miller, Caulfield Pain Management and Research Centre, Caulfield General Medical Centre, 260 Kooyong Rd, Caulfied, Melbourne, VIC 3162, Australia. Tel: +61 3 9076 6834; Fax: +61 3 9076 6675; E-mail: steven.miller@med.monash.edu.au
Linked references
Hide All

This list contains references from the content that can be linked to their source. For a full set of references and notes please see the PDF or HTML where available.

CY Kim , R Blake . Psychophysical magic: rendering the visible ‘invisible’. Trends Cogn Sci 2005;9:381–388.
VAF Lamme . Towards a true neural stance on consciousness. Trends Cogn Sci 2006;10:494–501.
F Crick , C Koch . Consciousness and neuroscience. Cereb Cortex 1998;8:97–107.
NK Logothetis . Single units and conscious vision. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 1998;353:1801–1818.
R Blake , NK Logothetis . Visual competition. Nat Rev Neurosci 2002;3:13–21.
DA Leopold , NK Logothetis . Activity changes in early visual cortex reflect monkeys’ percepts during binocular rivalry. Nature 1996;379:549–553.
DL Sheinberg , NK Logothetis . The role of temporal cortical areas in perceptual organization. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1997;94:3408–3413.
SM Miller . Binocular rivalry and the cerebral hemispheres: with a note on the correlates and constitution of visual consciousness. Brain Mind 2001;2:119–149.
M Mahner , M Bunge . Foundations of biophilosophy. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1997.
NK Logothetis . Object vision and visual awareness. Curr Opin Neurobiol 1998;8:536–544.
CD Salzman , KH Britten , WT Newsome . Cortical microstimulation influences perceptual judgements of motion direction. Nature 1990;346:174–177.
CD Salzman , WT Newsome . Neural mechanisms for forming a perceptual decision. Science 1994;264:231–237.
AK Engel , PR Roelfsema , P Fries , M Brecht , W Singer . Role of the temporal domain for response selection and perceptual binding. Cereb Cortex 1997;7:571–582.
SM Miller , GB Liu , TT Ngo et al. Interhemispheric switching mediates perceptual rivalry. Curr Biol 2000;10:383–392.
C Koch , N Tsuchiya . Attention and consciousness: two distinct brain processes. Trends Cogn Sci 2007;11:16–22.
T Nagel . What is it like to be a bat? Philos Rev 1974;83:435–450.
UT Place . Is consciousness a brain process? Brit J Psychol 1956;47:44–50.
JJC Smart . Sensations and brain processes. Philos Rev 1959;68:141–156.
TJ Andrews , D Schluppeck , D Homfray , P Matthews , C Blakemore . Activity in the fusiform gyrus predicts conscious perception of Rubin’s vase–face illusion. Neuroimage 2002;17:890–901.
DJ Mellor , TJ Diesch . Onset of sentience: the potential for suffering in fetal and newborn farm animals. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2006;100:48–57.
N Humphrey . A history of the mind. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992.
DB Edelman , BJ Baars , AK Seth . Identifying hallmarks of consciousness in non-mammalian species. Conscious Cogn 2005;14:169–187.
LR Baker . Persons and bodies: a constitution view. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
LR Baker . Why constitution is not identity. J Philos 1997;94:599–621.
M Johnston . Constitution is not identity. Mind 1992;101:89–105.
HW Noonan . Constitution is identity. Mind 1993;102:133–146.
HW Noonan . Identity, constitution and microphysical supervenience. Proc Aristotelian Soc 1999;99:273–288.
F Jackson . What Mary didn’t know. J Philos 1986;83:291–295.
Recommend this journal

Email your librarian or administrator to recommend adding this journal to your organisation's collection.

Acta Neuropsychiatrica
  • ISSN: 0924-2708
  • EISSN: 1601-5215
  • URL: /core/journals/acta-neuropsychiatrica
Please enter your name
Please enter a valid email address
Who would you like to send this to? *

CAPTCHA *

Skip to the audio challenge
×

Keywords:

Metrics

Full text views

Total number of HTML views: 0
Total number of PDF views: 3 *
Loading metrics...

Abstract views

Total abstract views: 181 *
Loading metrics...

* Views captured on Cambridge Core between September 2016 - 17th July 2017. This data will be updated every 24 hours.

Cancel
Confirm
×