A Compositional Model of Consciousness based on Consciousness-Only

TL;DR

This paper proposes a compositional, category-theoretic framework for consciousness emphasizing its other-dependent nature, aiming to address foundational issues like the hard problem and the combination problem of conscious experiences.

Contribution

It introduces a novel categorical model of consciousness that captures its relational and co-dependent features, providing a new theoretical approach to understanding consciousness.

Findings

Framework naturally models consciousness as a composition of interdependent processes

Potential to circumvent the hard problem of consciousness

Offers insights into the combination problem of conscious experiences

Abstract

Scientific studies of consciousness rely on objects whose existence is assumed to be independent of any consciousness. On the contrary, we assume consciousness to be fundamental, and that one of the main features of consciousness is characterized as being other-dependent. We set up a framework which naturally subsumes this feature by defining a compact closed category where morphisms represent conscious processes. These morphisms are a composition of a set of generators, each being specified by their relations with other generators, and therefore co-dependent. The framework is general enough and fits well into a compositional model of consciousness. Interestingly, we also show how our proposal may become a step towards avoiding the hard problem of consciousness, and thereby address the combination problem of conscious experiences.