Reflective Analysis on Empirical Theories in Consciousness

Consciousness, which is inherently entwined with subjectivity, presents a significant challenge in formulating an operational definition, thereby complicating its scientific investigation. This complexity has led to a division in scientific inquiries into consciousness: (a) qualia, which refers to subjective and private experiences, and (b) awareness, which is more amenable to empirical experiments due to its observable nature. However, such a division overlooks the essence of consciousness, which is how the phenomenal content of experience arises from self-awareness, and how one becomes aware of the very feeling of their experience. Thus, to truly initiate a meaningful exploration of consciousness, acknowledging these conscious experiences and phenomena is necessary. This study leverages phenomenology to clearly define the nature and categorizations of consciousness. I propose four properties of consciousness discovered by phenomenological practice: (1) Pre-reflective self-acquaintance, (2) Being contextually and environmentally situated, (3) Spatio-temporal expandability, and (4) Ability to actively focus selective attention toward intended matter. Subsequently, I introduce and discuss how the four prevailing empirical theories within the contemporary discourse of the science of consciousness address given properties of consciousness. This inquiry will critically assess the Global Workspace Theory (GWT), Higher-Order approaches, Integrated Information Theory (IIT), and approaches within the Predictive Coding and Active Inference paradigm, focusing on the specific aspects of consciousness each theory aims to elucidate. Furthermore, this study proposes a synthesis that moves beyond fragmented explanations, advocating a more integrated framework to address the gaps in understanding conscious experience. By demonstrating the possibility of synthesizing the categories of consciousness that each of these theories seeks to explain, I propose a more inclusive empirical study of consciousness that expands our understanding of its multifaceted nature.