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 › Computational
Bostrom’s Computational Functionalism
Consciousness as Substrate-Independent Computation
Nick Bostrom holds that consciousness depends on computation, not on the material that performs it, so minds could run on substrates other than biological neurons. He develops this less as a theory of what consciousness is than as a premise for his simulation argument, anthropic reasoning, and the ethics of artificial minds.
Nick Bostrom
What consciousness is
Consciousness is a product of the right computational processes. Mental states are defined by their functional roles, what they do, rather than what they are made of.
Mind and body
Multiple realizability. Bostrom writes that if human minds can be simulated and simulated minds can be conscious, our own consciousness might be realized in a substrate other than biological neurons.
Mechanism
Substrate independence: the same computation produces the same mental states whatever hardware runs it.
Core claims
- If minds can be simulated and simulated minds can be conscious, consciousness does not require biological neurons.
- The simulation argument is coherent only if consciousness is computational, which makes computationalism a precondition of it.
- Bostrom writes that an entity’s moral status depends at least in part on whether it is conscious and to what degree, implying consciousness comes in degrees.
- Bostrom does not claim we live in a simulation; his computationalism rests on other grounds, including computational neuroscience.
Criticisms
Bostrom assumes computational functionalism more than he argues for it, and he does not explain why computation should produce experience.
Implications
- AI consciousness: Likely
- If consciousness is substrate-independent computation, artificial systems running the right processes would be conscious, and Bostrom ties their moral status to it.
- Survival beyond death: Conditional
- Biological death ends consciousness unless its computation is reproduced elsewhere; if we are simulated, what happens to us depends on the simulators.
- Meaning and purpose: Uncertain
- If our world is a simulation built by an advanced civilization, it may have a purpose set by its makers, but Bostrom does not claim to know.
- Virtual immortality: Possible
- Substrate independence implies that a simulated mind could continue a person’s consciousness, in line with Bostrom’s interest in whole brain emulation.
Related theories
Sources
- Bostrom’s Computational Functionalism (Landscape of Consciousness), Nick Bostrom (2003)
Explore all theories on the Consciousness Atlas
