Higher-Order Theories of Consciousness are Empirically False
Higher-order theories of consciousness come in many varieties, but all adopt the 'transitivity principle' as a central, explanatory premise. The transitivity principle states that a mental state of a subject is conscious if and only if the subject is aware of it. This higher-order
awareness is realized in different ways in different forms of higher-order theory. I argue that empirical studies of metacognition have falsified the transitivity principle by showing that there can be awareness of a mental state without that state's becoming conscious. I present two
such studies in detail and argue that the measures they employ cannot be interpreted in a way that would make the results compatible with higher-order theory. Since all versions of the theory rely on the transitivity principle, this entails that all forms of higher-order theory are false.
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: University of California San Diego, Department of Philosophy, 9500 Gilman Dr. #0119, La Jolla, CA, 92092, USA., Email: [email protected]
Publication date: 01 January 2020
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