Why searching for the source of consciousness might be a category error

Space · Published 27 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: We often ask if the brain creates consciousness or if consciousness produces the brain. But what if both questions are based on a fundamental misunderstanding? French philosopher Michel Bitbol suggests that by starting with matter or mind, we may be trapped in a philosophical shadow that obscures the truth of lived experience.

Michel Bitbol, a researcher at École Normale Supérieure, argues that the 'hard problem' of consciousness—the search for its physical origin—is often a 'fake mystery.' This problem arises primarily from a standard physicalist formulation that assumes consciousness is a thing or a property that can be produced as an emergent property. Bitbol suggests that even the debate over whether consciousness exists as an emergent property is still operating under the shadow of former dualism. Instead of seeking a foundational representation, Bitbol adopts a phenomenological premise. By starting with lived experience rather than reductionism, we move away from the 'dualist prejudice' found in both spiritualist and monistic physicalist approaches. This shift allows for a more nuanced exploration of how we perceive reality without forcing it into a binary of matter versus mind. This perspective aligns with specific interpretations of quantum mechanics, such as Quantum Bayesianism (QBism). Bitbol notes that QBism is in 'exquisite agreement' with a phenomenological stance. Furthermore, he references Francisco Varela’s neurophenomenology, which was intended to dissolve the 'hard problem' by criticizing the very way the question is framed. Bitbol views such philosophical structures as a form of 'therapy' meant to free us from seeking stable bases, instead of offering a factual depiction of reality.

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