Conscious behavior explained.
Current neurobiological research on temporal binding in binocular rivalry settings contributes to a better understanding of the neural correlate of perceptual consciousness. This research can easily be integrated into a theory of conscious behavior, but if it is meant to promote a naturalistic theory of perceptual consciousness itself, it is confronted with the notorious explanatory gap argument according to which any statement of psychophysical correlations (and their interpretation) leaves the phenomenal character of, e.g., states of perceptual consciousness open. It is argued that research on temporal binding plays no role in a naturalistic theory of consciousness if the gap argument can be solved on internal philosophical grounds or if it turns out to be unsolvable at the time being. But there may be a way to dissolve or deconstruct it, and the accessibility of this way may well depend on scientific progress, including neurobiological research on the neural correlate of perceptual consciousness.
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Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, Bonn, D-53105, Germany. martin@mailer.meb.uni-bonn.edu
D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D003243:Consciousness / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D015348:Vision, Binocular / Q000502:physiology