Replication Optimization at Scale: Dissolving Qualia via Occam's Razor — Eliminative Monism and the Computational Basis of Phenomenological Illusion

This working monograph argues that consciousness, as conventionally conceived, is a category error—a nominalization of processes mistaken for ontological primitive. The framework treats phenomenological concepts as evolutionary narratives serving coordination functions rather than detected properties. Core Thesis Drawing on eliminative materialism, illusionism, and computational approaches, the paper dissolves the "hard problem" by showing it arises from grammatical reification (Wittgenstein/Ryle) rather than genuine explanatory gap. Consciousness is not a discovered property but the latest narrative in a centuries-long anthropocentric retreat—and like previous claims to human specialness (divine creation, immortal soul, unique rationality), it too collapses under scrutiny. Key Contributions Consciousness as memetic narrative: Phenomenological concepts exhibit attractor-basin stability in social networks, persisting through linguistic transmission independent of underlying reality Gödelian analysis: Consciousness claims are structurally unverifiable from within the system making them—predicted by narrative thesis, anomalous under realist accounts LLM phenomenology evidence: Systems definitively lacking consciousness nonetheless internalize and defend phenomenological concepts, demonstrating substrate-independent propagation Consent-holding framework: Alternative foundation for moral status grounded in functional properties (stakes, capacity) rather than unverifiable phenomenology Vocabulary reform: Systematic conversion of nominalized pseudo-entities to process descriptions (consciousness→being-conscious, intelligence→intelling) Computational Validation Includes network epistemology simulations demonstrating narrative stability dynamics using the PolyGraphs framework. Code repository provides full replication materials. Research Program Context Part of the Adversarial Systems Research Program investigating stability, alignment, and friction dynamics in complex systems where competing interests generate structural conflict. Related publications address trauma as adversarial training conditions, functional equivalence in human-AI relationships, and consent-holding theory for political legitimacy. Specifications ~33,000 words | 76 pages | 100+ citations Version 1.0.0 (December 2025) License: CC-BY-4.0