Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences
-
Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond., B, Biol. Sci. · Sep 2018
ReviewThe methodological puzzle of phenomenal consciousness.
Is phenomenal consciousness constitutively related to cognitive access? Despite being a fundamental issue for any science of consciousness, its empirical study faces a severe methodological puzzle. Recent years have seen numerous attempts to address this puzzle, either in practice, by offering evidence for a positive or negative answer, or in principle, by proposing a framework for eventual resolution. ⋯ It is argued that the methodological puzzle remains obdurately with us and that, for now, we must adopt an attitude of humility towards the phenomenal. This article is part of the theme issue 'Perceptual consciousness and cognitive access'.