Sytsma, Justin (2009) Searching for Evidence of Phenomenal Consciousness in NCC Research. [Preprint]

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Abstract

Recent scientific work aiming to give a neurobiological explanation of phenomenal consciousness has largely focused on finding neural correlates of consciousness (NCC). The hope is that by locating neural correlates of phenomenally conscious mental states, some light will be cast on how the brain is able to give rise to such states. In this paper I argue that NCC research is unable to produce evidence of such neural correlates. I do this by considering two alternative interpretations of NCC research—an eliminativist and a disjunctivist interpretation. I show that each of these interpretations is compatible with the scientific data and yet is more parsimonious than accounts involving the supposed phenomenon of phenomenal consciousness.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Sytsma, Justin
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Neuroscience Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science
Depositing User:	Justin Sytsma
Date Deposited:	13 Oct 2009
Last Modified:	07 Oct 2010 15:18
Item ID:	4945
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Neuroscience Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science
Date:	October 2009
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/4945

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