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Integrated information theory - a step into the future or a scientific fiction?
In the UK, a scientific scandal broke out in the field of consciousness research. More than 100 scientists have signed a letter accusing one of the most popular scientific theories of consciousness — Integrated Information Theory (IIT) — of being pseudoscientific. This theory, proposed by neuroscientist Giulio Tononi, seeks to offer mathematically precise conditions for determining whether a system (such as the brain) is conscious or not. The basic idea is that the system becomes conscious at the exact moment when there is more integration of information in it than in any of its parts.
However, critics point out that although some aspects of IIT have been investigated, the theory as a whole has not been fully tested, and therefore has insufficient experimental support. They worry about the possibility that associating consciousness science with what they consider a pseudoscientific theory could undermine its credibility. On the other hand, IIT proponents argue that baseless accusations of pseudoscience can eventually lead to the whole science of consciousness being perceived as pseudoscience.
This controversy follows the announcement of the first results of a "hostile collaboration" between IIT and another popular theory of consciousness known as the global workspace theory. According to this theory, information in the brain becomes conscious when it is located in a "global workspace", which means that it is available for use by many and different systems throughout the brain for a wide range of tasks.
The special feature of IIT is that it combines not only scientific experiments, but also philosophical reflections. The theory is based on five "axioms", which, according to its proponents, each of us can realize by paying attention to our own conscious experience. For example, IIT illustrates the unity of our conscious experience through the integration of a physical system. Critics of IIT seek to clearly separate science and philosophy of mind in order to emphasize the seriousness and scientific nature of the former.
This scientific dispute highlights the complexity of consciousness research, which is not only a scientific but also a philosophical problem that requires joint efforts to uncover the secrets of consciousness.
In the UK, a scientific scandal broke out in the field of consciousness research. More than 100 scientists have signed a letter accusing one of the most popular scientific theories of consciousness — Integrated Information Theory (IIT) — of being pseudoscientific. This theory, proposed by neuroscientist Giulio Tononi, seeks to offer mathematically precise conditions for determining whether a system (such as the brain) is conscious or not. The basic idea is that the system becomes conscious at the exact moment when there is more integration of information in it than in any of its parts.
However, critics point out that although some aspects of IIT have been investigated, the theory as a whole has not been fully tested, and therefore has insufficient experimental support. They worry about the possibility that associating consciousness science with what they consider a pseudoscientific theory could undermine its credibility. On the other hand, IIT proponents argue that baseless accusations of pseudoscience can eventually lead to the whole science of consciousness being perceived as pseudoscience.
This controversy follows the announcement of the first results of a "hostile collaboration" between IIT and another popular theory of consciousness known as the global workspace theory. According to this theory, information in the brain becomes conscious when it is located in a "global workspace", which means that it is available for use by many and different systems throughout the brain for a wide range of tasks.
The special feature of IIT is that it combines not only scientific experiments, but also philosophical reflections. The theory is based on five "axioms", which, according to its proponents, each of us can realize by paying attention to our own conscious experience. For example, IIT illustrates the unity of our conscious experience through the integration of a physical system. Critics of IIT seek to clearly separate science and philosophy of mind in order to emphasize the seriousness and scientific nature of the former.
This scientific dispute highlights the complexity of consciousness research, which is not only a scientific but also a philosophical problem that requires joint efforts to uncover the secrets of consciousness.
