The Falsification Thinking in Consciousness Research

What is consciousness? Even to this day, human knowledge still cannot provide a definitive answer to this question. Dualistic theories, which separate consciousness from matter, and reductionist theories, which reduce consciousness to neurobiological processes, encounter unsolvable dilemmas when att...

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Main Authors: Kai SHI, Yongjin HAN
Format: Article
Language:zho
Published: Editorial Office of Medicine and Philosophy 2025-03-01
Series:Yixue yu zhexue
Subjects:
Online Access:https://yizhe.dmu.edu.cn/article/doi/10.12014/j.issn.1002-0772.2025.06.02
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author Kai SHI
Yongjin HAN
author_facet Kai SHI
Yongjin HAN
author_sort Kai SHI
collection DOAJ
description What is consciousness? Even to this day, human knowledge still cannot provide a definitive answer to this question. Dualistic theories, which separate consciousness from matter, and reductionist theories, which reduce consciousness to neurobiological processes, encounter unsolvable dilemmas when attempting to answer what consciousness is. Starting from a perspective of falsification-based thinking and drawing upon existing philosophical and neurobiological research, this article attempts to answer what consciousness not is. It points out that: (1) consciousness is not an absolute mind or purely spiritual phenomenon; (2) consciousness is not purely a neurobiological process; and (3) consciousness is not the most fundamental component of systemic structures. On this basis, a preliminary exploration of the possible generation mechanism of consciousness is carried out. Consciousness may be the product of the complexity generated by the dynamic interactions among neurons, or by the interplay between neurons and the external world within large-scale complex systems.
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spelling doaj-art-7bfe9c07da80461d9a50152c92f7c7c62025-08-20T03:17:57ZzhoEditorial Office of Medicine and PhilosophyYixue yu zhexue1002-07722025-03-0146671110.12014/j.issn.1002-0772.2025.06.027-2-shikaiThe Falsification Thinking in Consciousness ResearchKai SHI0Yongjin HAN1School of Marxism, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, ChinaSchool of Marxism, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, ChinaWhat is consciousness? Even to this day, human knowledge still cannot provide a definitive answer to this question. Dualistic theories, which separate consciousness from matter, and reductionist theories, which reduce consciousness to neurobiological processes, encounter unsolvable dilemmas when attempting to answer what consciousness is. Starting from a perspective of falsification-based thinking and drawing upon existing philosophical and neurobiological research, this article attempts to answer what consciousness not is. It points out that: (1) consciousness is not an absolute mind or purely spiritual phenomenon; (2) consciousness is not purely a neurobiological process; and (3) consciousness is not the most fundamental component of systemic structures. On this basis, a preliminary exploration of the possible generation mechanism of consciousness is carried out. Consciousness may be the product of the complexity generated by the dynamic interactions among neurons, or by the interplay between neurons and the external world within large-scale complex systems.https://yizhe.dmu.edu.cn/article/doi/10.12014/j.issn.1002-0772.2025.06.02consciousnessdualistic theoriesneurobiologysystems theory
spellingShingle Kai SHI
Yongjin HAN
The Falsification Thinking in Consciousness Research
Yixue yu zhexue
consciousness
dualistic theories
neurobiology
systems theory
title The Falsification Thinking in Consciousness Research
title_full The Falsification Thinking in Consciousness Research
title_fullStr The Falsification Thinking in Consciousness Research
title_full_unstemmed The Falsification Thinking in Consciousness Research
title_short The Falsification Thinking in Consciousness Research
title_sort falsification thinking in consciousness research
topic consciousness
dualistic theories
neurobiology
systems theory
url https://yizhe.dmu.edu.cn/article/doi/10.12014/j.issn.1002-0772.2025.06.02
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