Science @beehaw.org Bebo @literature.cafe 1 yr. ago

A leading theory of consciousness has been branded ‘pseudoscience’

theconversation.com Consciousness: why a leading theory has been branded 'pseudoscience'

There’s a battle over consciousness research – and whether it can be understood purely through science.

Civil war has broken out in the field of consciousness research. More than 100 consciousness researchers have signed a letter accusing one of the most popular scientific theories of consciousness – the integrated information theory – of being pseudoscience.

Immediately, several other figures in the field responded by critiquing the letter as poorly reasoned and disproportionate.

Both sides are motivated by a concern for the long-term health and respectability of consciousness science. One side (including the letter signatories) is worrying that the association of consciousness science with what they perceive to be a pseudoscientific theory will undermine the credibility of the field.

The other side is pressing that what they perceive as unsupported charges of pseudoscience will ultimately result in the whole science of consciousness being perceived as pseudoscience.

8 comments

Anything like this that is labeled "Pseudoscience" is simply a thing that is simply misunderstood or not understood at all.
- That's not entirely true. It's meant to categorize fields of study which try to pass themselves off as scientific, that is to say that they follow the scientific method. To call something pseudoscientific is to say that they aren't following the scientific method. Fields of study which rely a lot on biases, exaggerated claims, are lacking rigorous attempts of refutation, etc. fall into this category.
  
  I was being specific to this claim of pseudoscience; which seems to be based on the fact that we don't have any other verifiable facts and instead it attacks the theory as pseudoscience despite there being no other prevailing proof of harms like biases, claims and lacking refutation.
  
  Very well put indeed, IMO.
- So you're saying homeopathy is just something we don't understand? Or astrology? Seems like you don't understand how the scientific method works.
  
  Do not put words into my mouth. I already clarified my position to make clear that it applies to this specific instance
The amount of spiritualist woo concerned with "consciousness" has already tainted the entire field, they dont need to worry about that

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