Facing Up to the Problem of Consciousness

This paper addresses the problem of consciousness, distinguishing between 'easy' and 'hard' problems. Easy problems concern cognitive functions like information integration and reportability, which are amenable to standard scientific methods. The hard problem concerns subjective experience – what it's like to be conscious. The paper argues that reductive explanations, common in cognitive science and neuroscience, fail to address the hard problem. A non-reductive approach is proposed, treating experience as fundamental alongside physical properties. This naturalistic dualism posits psychophysical principles connecting physical processes and experience, emphasizing structural coherence, organizational invariance, and a double-aspect theory of information.

David J. Chalmers