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 › Eliminative
Kammerer’s Introspective Illusionism
Phenomenal Consciousness as a Product of Introspective Misrepresentation
François Kammerer defends strong illusionism: phenomenal consciousness does not exist but only seems to, because introspection represents our states as phenomenal. His TCE theory explains why the illusion is so compelling, and Kammerer argues that illusionism defends physicalism better than its standard versions do.
François Kammerer
What consciousness is
Phenomenal consciousness is nothing; what exists is the appearance of it, produced when introspection applies phenomenal concepts to our states.
Mind and body
Everything is physical. Kammerer holds that the popular defenses of physicalism against anti-physicalist arguments fail, and that denying the existence of phenomenal states removes the premise those arguments need.
Mechanism
The TCE theory: phenomenal introspection applies phenomenal concepts, which are Theoretically determined Concepts of Epistemologically special states.
Core claims
- Phenomenal consciousness does not exist but seems to exist.
- A good theory of introspection must explain both why consciousness seems to exist and why we cannot intuitively make sense of its not existing.
- Existing theories of introspection cannot do this job; TCE theory is meant to.
- David Chalmers’s ‘Moorean’ argument fails because its key premise cannot be supported without begging the question against illusionism.
Criticisms
The main objection is that illusionism is obviously false, since it is evident that we have experiences; Chalmers puts this as a Moorean argument. Kammerer grants that the view is radically counter-intuitive and may even seem incoherent, but argues that the illusion itself predicts that resistance.
Implications
- Survival beyond death: No
- Since only physical states exist and phenomenal consciousness is an illusion, nothing nonphysical remains to survive death.
- Meaning and purpose: Uncertain
- Kammerer argues that things can still have value if phenomenal consciousness does not exist, but admits the normative consequences can be difficult to deal with.
Related theories
Sources
- Kammerer’s Introspective Illusionism (Landscape of Consciousness), François Kammerer
Explore all theories on the Consciousness Atlas
