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.
Challenge
Gabriel’s New Realism and Field of Sense
Consciousness as the Condition of Meaning and Freedom
Markus Gabriel holds that consciousness cannot be reduced to brain states: the brain is necessary for it but neither sufficient nor identical with it. Drawing on his New Realism and ontological pluralism, he treats consciousness as tied to ‘fields of sense’, the contexts in which the world appears and becomes meaningful, and as the space where freedom, value, and responsibility show up.
Markus Gabriel
What consciousness is
Consciousness is no substance or object of science like a molecule. It is the precondition for fields of sense, the ways in which things appear and have meaning.
Mind and body
The brain is a necessary condition for consciousness but not a sufficient one, and not identical with it. Gabriel calls the idea that we are our brains ‘one of the most dangerous ideologies of our time’.
Mechanism
The field of sense. Things exist and become intelligible only as they appear within some field, and consciousness is what makes such appearing possible.
Core claims
- Neurocentrism, the view that being a mental being is nothing but having a suitable brain, mistakes a necessary condition for the whole story.
- Consciousness is not an object of science in the way atoms are, so reducing it to neuronal activity is a category error.
- Normative, semantic, and existential aspects of mind cannot be captured by empirical science alone.
- Consciousness is bound up with ethical life and self-understanding, as the space where value and responsibility appear.
Criticisms
Calling consciousness both a field of sense and the precondition of all fields of sense leaves its status unsettled, as does saying mental phenomena emerge in those fields.
Implications
- Survival beyond death: Unlikely
- Gabriel calls the brain a necessary condition for consciousness, so his view gives no basis for consciousness continuing after it.
- Meaning and purpose: Humanistic only
- Meaning, freedom, and value appear in conscious, norm-making life; Gabriel invokes no cosmic purpose.
Related theories
Sources
- Gabriel’s New Realism and Field of Sense (Landscape of Consciousness entry), Markus Gabriel (2015)
Explore all theories on the Consciousness Atlas
