Action unity of consciousness

Two kinds of behavioral dissociation are distinctive of the so-called split-brain phenomenon and first motivated the thought that split-brain consciousness might be structurally dual, with each cerebral hemisphere associated with a distinct stream or sphere of consciousness. One of these behavioral dissociations, however, tends to diminish in observed frequency and severity over time. What implications does this have for the debate over the structure of split-brain consciousness? Some neuroscientists have recently argued that motoric information remains interhemispherically integrated and that this shows that split-brain consciousness is unitary after all. This paper argues that an account of conscious unity grounded in that sort of integration would look quite different from the most familiar accounts of conscious unity. It proposes a new kind of unity relation that might persist after split-brain surgery and then considers whether this relation is a genuine kind of conscious unity.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Philosophy and the Mind Sciences
Published
2025-08-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.33735/phimisci.2025.11812
Primary Topic
Scientific Research and Philosophical Inquiry
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Action unity of consciousness

Elizabeth Schechter
Philosophy and the Mind Sciences
Scientific Research and Philosophical Inquiry
article

Action unity of consciousness

Elizabeth Schechter
article en

Abstract

Two kinds of behavioral dissociation are distinctive of the so-called split-brain phenomenon and first motivated the thought that split-brain consciousness might be structurally dual, with each cerebral hemisphere associated with a distinct stream or sphere of consciousness. One of these behavioral dissociations, however, tends to diminish in observed frequency and severity over time. What implications does this have for the debate over the structure of split-brain consciousness? Some neuroscientists have recently argued that motoric information remains interhemispherically integrated and that this shows that split-brain consciousness is unitary after all. This paper argues that an account of conscious unity grounded in that sort of integration would look quite different from the most familiar accounts of conscious unity. It proposes a new kind of unity relation that might persist after split-brain surgery and then considers whether this relation is a genuine kind of conscious unity.

Philosophy and the Mind SciencesVol. 6
University of Maryland, College Park (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 67%
Scientific Research and Philosophical Inquiry
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Action unity of consciousness — Elizabeth Schechter · Philosophy and the Mind Sciences (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS