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 › Eliminative
Mandik’s Qualia Quietism
Consciousness Without Qualia Talk: Self-Representing Neural States
Pete Mandik argues that the term ‘qualia’ lacks enough content for anything informative to be said by affirming or denying that qualia exist, so he declines both realism and eliminativism about them. He studies consciousness instead through neurofunctionalism, on which conscious states are brain-based representations whose felt character is set by their content and which represent themselves.
Pete Mandik
What consciousness is
Conscious states are neural representational states whose phenomenal character is exhausted by their intentional content, and which are conscious because they include a representation of themselves.
Mind and body
Neurofunctionalism grounds the causal roles of classical functionalism in neural implementation. Mandik nonetheless says he is not a physicalist and that quietism about qualia is compatible even with substance dualism.
Mechanism
Self-representation within transparent neural representations: a state becomes conscious by representing itself as part of its content.
Core claims
- The case from chaos: accounts of qualia conflict, treating them as properties of experiences, experiences themselves, or objects experienced.
- The case from circularity: ‘qualia’, ‘phenomenal character’, and ‘what-it’s-like-ness’ define one another in a small vicious circle with little link to ordinary language.
- The case from alternatives: clearer questions, such as whether seeing red requires being a biological organism, can replace qualia talk.
- Mandik offers these as a cumulative case, not a proof.
Criticisms
Phenomenal realists such as David Chalmers, who hold that consciousness poses a hard problem, would reject the claim that ‘qualia’ is empty. Mandik himself grew dissatisfied with his early formulation, which made the word sound ‘meaning-repellent’. Calling the view anti-realist while holding that phenomenal states are real brain states, and denying physicalism while grounding consciousness in neurons, needs careful reading.
Implications
- AI consciousness: Uncertain
- Mandik lists whether something that sees red must be a biological organism or could be an artifact as an open question worth asking instead of qualia questions.
- Survival beyond death: Unlikely
- Since conscious states here are neural representations, they would end with the brain, though Mandik does not commit to physicalism.
Related theories
Sources
- Mandik’s Qualia Quietism (Landscape of Consciousness), Pete Mandik (2024)
Explore all theories on the Consciousness Atlas
