Yoshiyuki Ohmura

A verifiable theory of consciousness becomes possible by acknowledging physically observable causal effects of mental phenomena, including consciousness. However, physics treats all phenomena as physical and cannot define non-physical concepts such as the mind or mental causation; therefore, it is unsuitable for this purpose. Consequently, a new descriptive system that acknowledges mental causation is necessary. We believe that a framework for the science of causation is required to establish a scientific framework that acknowledges mental causation. Although physics and the science of causation are often conflated, they are distinct academic disciplines with different objectives. While causal laws follow the laws of physics, the science of causation introduces an asymmetry of cause and effect that physics does not distinguish. Consequently, the science of causation can distinguish between models that physics cannot differentiate. This creates room for defining the mind. Although mental causation is often denied on the grounds of physical causal closure, since physics does not define causation, it is impossible to deny mental causation. The fact that the mind-body problem and theories of consciousness cannot be defined within the descriptive framework of physics is unrelated to ontology. The distinction between the physical and the mental is not required for the purposes of physics; rather, theories of consciousness require a distinct framework. To define the mind as non-physical, the meaning of “physical” must be modified within the framework of the science of consciousness. Thus, depending on the descriptive framework, the same word can have different meanings. Most importantly, by ignoring the causal asymmetry, causal models can be translated into physical models. Furthermore, the translated physical model must obey the laws of physics; that is, changes in physical states must be determined solely by physical states. Thus, by constructing a descriptive framework within the framework of causal science that acknowledges the mind and mental causation, we believe that consciousness, as one of the mental processes, can also be given a theoretical definition within this framework. To achieve this, we must establish a basis for distinguishing between the mind and the physical entities through the asymmetry of causality. At the same time, the mind must arise from intrinsic causes within the system. This is because the presence or absence of consciousness is determined not by external factors, but by the system itself. Therefore, this study focuses on inter-level causation and constructs a causal model to establish a descriptive framework for the science of consciousness.