The Consciousness Atlas is an interactive web app that visualizes more
than 450 theories of consciousness. It is based on Robert Lawrence
Kuhn's 2024 paper,
"A Landscape of Consciousness". The Atlas maps theories that address phenomenal consciousness - the
subjective feel of experience, such as the redness of red.
What the Atlas is
The Atlas is a visual reference built on Kuhn's taxonomy. It presents
the full set of theories at once so you can explore the field visually
and open any theory to read its entry, like an encyclopedia with
structured entries. Each theory entry shows a concise identity line,
conceptual ground, suggested mechanism, empirical notes, implications,
and sources.
Why this exists
Consciousness is studied across disciplines - neuroscience,
philosophy, and sometimes spiritual or anomalous-state research.
Kuhn's paper collects and organizes hundreds of theories along a
spectrum from most physical to least physical. The Atlas puts that
organization into a visual form so readers, students, and researchers
can quickly see how different positions relate and where each theory
sits on the spectrum.
How it works
Theories are grouped into ten main categories, arranged by their
stance on the physical-to-nonphysical spectrum. Examples of categories
include Materialism, Non-Reductive Physicalism, Functionalism,
Quantum-based theories, Panpsychism, Monism, Dualism, Idealism,
Anomalous States, and Challenge Theories. The app shows the whole map
at once. Click any theory to read its structured entry, which includes
references to canonical sources and named thinkers.
Who it is for
- Students learning philosophy of mind and cognitive science
-
Researchers and lecturers looking for an at-a-glance comparative
resource
-
Journalists and writers who need a quick reference to the range of
positions
-
Curious readers who want a clear view of what people mean when they
talk about consciousness
What the Atlas does not do
The Atlas does not endorse or rank theories. It is a visualization and
reference based on Kuhn's taxonomy - collect and present, not judge.
It does not attempt to settle the hard problem of consciousness. It is
a tool for exploration and comparison.
A note from Kuhn
Kuhn explicitly states the project's purpose: "collect and categorize,
not assess and adjudicate." The Consciousness Atlas follows that
approach. The data and structure are derived from Kuhn's paper;
feedback and suggested corrections are welcome, but the app is a
visualization layer on top of Kuhn's work.
Kuhn was not involved in the design or content of the Consciousness
Atlas, other than his original paper, 'A Landscape of Consciousness,'
which is the sole source.
FAQ
What is phenomenal consciousness?
Phenomenal consciousness refers to subjective experience - the
qualitative feel of being aware, like the taste of coffee or the
redness of red.
How many theories does the Atlas include?
The Atlas visualizes over 220 individual theories, grouped into ten
broad categories.
Does the Atlas show which theory is true?
No. The Atlas presents theories neutrally. It is a map, not an
argument for any single position.
Is the Atlas academic?
The Atlas is based on an academic source - Robert Kuhn's 2024 paper,
"A Landscape of Consciousness" - and links to canonical sources
where available.
Summary
The Consciousness Atlas is a straightforward visualization tool: it
presents Kuhn's taxonomy as a single, explorable map and lets users
open individual theory entries to read structured, referenced
summaries. It is designed to make this complex field easier to survey
and to serve as a practical reference.
Phenomenology
Brentano’s Intentionality and Self-Awareness
Consciousness as Self-Aware Intentional Acts
Franz Brentano holds that intentionality, being directed at an object, is the mark of the mental: every mental act presents something. Each act is also aware of itself, taking itself as a ‘secondary object’ within one undivided act, so consciousness is built into the act rather than added by a second, higher-order state.
Franz Brentano
What consciousness is
Consciousness is a structured field of mental acts, each directed at a primary object (a sound, a proposition, a person) and at the same time incidentally aware of itself.
Mind and body
Brentano separates mental from physical phenomena by intentionality: every mental phenomenon contains an object within itself and no physical phenomenon does. He leaves causal and physiological conditions to genetic psychology, which he sharply distinguishes from his descriptive project.
Mechanism
The secondary-object doctrine: every act is directed at its primary object and at itself, making consciousness intrinsic to the act (a same-order account).
Core claims
- Intentional directedness is present in every mental phenomenon and in no physical phenomenon, so it can define the mental.
- A conscious act is aware of itself in the same act, so no higher-order state is required.
- Inner perception cannot become inner observation, because turning attention on an act alters it.
- There are no unconscious mental states; mental and conscious are co-extensive.
Criticisms
Husserl rejected two central claims: that mental acts stand before us as objects of inner perception, and that inner perception is infallible. Zahavi, following the Heidelberg School, argues that Brentano models consciousness on awareness of an object and so brings back the subject-object split. Antonelli argues the self-representational reading of Brentano imports a foreign notion of object and risks a regress.
Related theories
Sources
- Psychology from an Empirical Standpoint, Franz Brentano (1874)
- Descriptive Psychology, Franz Brentano (1982)
- Brentano's Philosophical System: Mind, Being, Value, U. Kriegel (2018)
- Consciousness as Intransitive Self-Consciousness: Two Views and an Argument, U. Kriegel (2003)
- After Brentano: A One-Level Theory of Consciousness, A. L. Thomasson (2000)
- Brentano (and Some Neo-Brentanians) on Inner Consciousness, M. Textor (2006)
- ‘Inner Perception Can Never Become Inner Observation’: Brentano on Awareness and Observation, M. Textor (2015)
- Consciousness and Intentionality in Franz Brentano, M. Antonelli (2021)
- Back to Brentano?, D. Zahavi (2004)
- Descriptive Psychology: Franz Brentano's Project Today, G. Fréchette (2023)
- Brentano’s Intentionality and Self-Awareness, Landscape of Consciousness, Robert Lawrence Kuhn
Explore all theories on the Consciousness Atlas
