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.
Materialism › First-Order
Dretske’s Information and Representationalism
Consciousness as Information-Carrying Representation
Fred Dretske identifies conscious experiences with first-order representations of the world: brain states that carry information and have acquired, through natural selection, the function of carrying it. What separates conscious from unconscious states is the way information is represented and made available to reasoning, action, and report, and qualia are simply the properties things are represented as having.
Fred Dretske
What consciousness is
Conscious experiences are identical to first-order mental representations of external objects and features, states whose biological function is to carry information about the world.
Mind and body
Mental states are brain states that represent. Dretske rejects dualism and treats intentionality and consciousness as naturalizable within a scientific, materialist framework.
Mechanism
A brain state becomes conscious when it carries information about the world in a usable way and is positioned to influence reasoning, planning, action, and report, with no higher-order thought about it required.
Core claims
- Conscious experiences are first-order representations of the external world, not representations of other mental states.
- Experience is transparent: we are conscious of the things we experience, not of our experiences.
- Conscious and unconscious states differ in the way content is represented and used, not in what is represented.
- Once we understand how content is represented and used, Dretske holds, no further explanatory gap remains.
Criticisms
Critics question whether representation and functional availability explain subjective feel, the ‘what it is like’ of experience. Higher-order theorists dispute Dretske’s claim that no awareness of one’s own states is needed for consciousness.
Implications
- AI consciousness: Conditional
- Since consciousness is a matter of representation with the right function, a machine could in principle qualify. Dretske grounds that function in natural selection, so it is unclear whether a designed system’s states would count.
- Survival beyond death: No
- Since conscious states are representational brain states, nothing remains to be conscious once the brain stops working.
- Meaning and purpose: Humanistic only
- The theory is fully naturalistic and gives consciousness a biological function, not a cosmic purpose.
- Virtual immortality: Uncertain
- A copy would need states whose function is to carry information about the world, and Dretske’s reliance on evolved function leaves open whether a simulation would have them.
Related theories
Sources
- Dretske’s Information and Representationalism, Landscape of Consciousness, Robert Lawrence Kuhn
Explore all theories on the Consciousness Atlas
