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
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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 › Philosophical
Kim’s Supervenience
No Mental Difference Without a Physical Difference
Jaegwon Kim holds that mental properties supervene on physical ones: there is no mental difference without a physical difference. His causal exclusion argument then forces a choice, since an irreducible mental cause would either overdetermine physical effects or be causally idle. Kim concluded that mental properties must reduce to physical ones to have causal power, while conceding that qualia resist functional reduction.
Jaegwon Kim
What consciousness is
Mental properties are fixed by physical properties: anything physically identical is psychologically identical. Supervenience describes this dependence without explaining how the physical produces the mental.
Mind and body
Kim’s view shifted over his career: identity theory, then non-reductive physicalism built on supervenience, then reductive physicalism. Later he accepted a version of property dualism for qualia, which he called something near enough to physicalism.
Mechanism
The causal exclusion argument: every physical event with a cause has a sufficient physical cause, so an irreducible mental cause would produce overdetermination. Mental causes must therefore be identical to physical causes or be epiphenomenal.
Core claims
- Things exactly alike in all physical properties cannot differ in mental properties.
- Supervenience allows the same psychology to be realized in different physical systems, consistent with functionalism and multiple realizability.
- The causal exclusion argument defeats non-reductive physicalism, which wants the mental to be irreducible, dependent, and causally efficacious all at once.
- Phenomenal properties are not functionally definable, so physicalism cannot survive intact and in its entirety.
Criticisms
Supervenience states a dependency, not a mechanism, so it explains nothing about how brains produce minds. Kim’s own exclusion argument threatens to make qualia epiphenomenal once he grants that they are irreducible.
Implications
- Survival beyond death: No
- Since every mental difference requires a physical difference, no mental life can continue once the physical basis is gone.
- Meaning and purpose: Humanistic only
- Kim held that mind is a natural phenomenon and dismissed supernatural explanation.
Related theories
Sources
- Kim's Supervenience (Landscape of Consciousness entry), Jaegwon Kim (2005)
Explore all theories on the Consciousness Atlas
