The Functions of Consciousness

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A Workshop Presented by NYU’s Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness

Monday, May 12th, 2025

5 Washington Place, Room 202

It is widely believed that consciousness has functions. That is, consciousness seems to play a crucial causal role in conscious systems. But what does it mean for consciousness to have functions, and what exactly are the functions of consciousness? There are a number of pressing questions here:

• Which empirical paradigms are the best for identifying the function(s) of consciousness?
• What notion of ‘function’ is most appropriate and/or illuminating for consciousness research?
• What does (e.g., neurobiological) structure tell us about the function(s) of consciousness?
• Do we need a theory of consciousness in order to identify its functions?

Identifying functional “signatures” or “markers” of consciousness has a range of urgent practical implications: a) in clinical settings, we still lack agreed upon criteria for ascribing consciousness to behaviourally unresponsive patients, b), in animal welfare policy, protections are typically awarded to particular species in so far as we can show that they have the capacity for certain psychological functions thought to be associated with consciousness, and c) in AI research, discussions about the possibility and consequences of consciousness in artificial computational systems are being taken much more seriously. This workshop will bring together cutting-edge work in philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, computer science and more in the collaborative attempt to make progress on these important issues.

Abstracts available HERE.

Questions? Contact dylanludwig@nyu.edu