Revoking the Explanatory Gap: Humean Skepticism, Recursive Ontology, and the Consensus Replacement of the Consciousness Problem

David Chalmers's "hard problem" of consciousness presupposes three unproven consensuses: mind-matter dualism, first-person privilege, and the explanatory gap. This paper argues that the hard problem is not an objective discovery but a pseudo-problem generated by circular definitions and contradictory premises. Drawing on the formal framework of recursive ontology (S_n = f(S_{n-1}, W_n)) proposed in "Experience Precedes Thought," this study conducts a systematic examination of Chalmers's theory through four steps: (1) Publicity constraint and the zombie self-cannibalization dilemma, which expose the self-contradiction of first-person privilege; (2) Conceptual archaeology revealing the explanatory gap as a product of circular definition; (3) Consensus replacement strategy using "reaction identity," "intersubjectivity plus recursive depth," and "difference structure as feeling" to directly dissolve the hard problem; (4) Ethical critique addressing moral privilege monopoly and epistemic violence. The paper concludes that the hard problem should be revoked rather than answered. Under the recursive ontology framework, the correct research direction shifts from "how physics produces experience" to "how difference structures unfold in recursive reactions."

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Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-10-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23317535
Primary Topic
Philosophy and Theoretical Science
Type
preprint
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preprint

Revoking the Explanatory Gap: Humean Skepticism, Recursive Ontology, and the Consensus Replacement of the Consciousness Problem

Gangbei Niu
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Philosophy and Theoretical Science
preprint

Revoking the Explanatory Gap: Humean Skepticism, Recursive Ontology, and the Consensus Replacement of the Consciousness Problem

Gangbei Niu
preprint en

Abstract

David Chalmers's "hard problem" of consciousness presupposes three unproven consensuses: mind-matter dualism, first-person privilege, and the explanatory gap. This paper argues that the hard problem is not an objective discovery but a pseudo-problem generated by circular definitions and contradictory premises. Drawing on the formal framework of recursive ontology (S_n = f(S_{n-1}, W_n)) proposed in "Experience Precedes Thought," this study conducts a systematic examination of Chalmers's theory through four steps: (1) Publicity constraint and the zombie self-cannibalization dilemma, which expose the self-contradiction of first-person privilege; (2) Conceptual archaeology revealing the explanatory gap as a product of circular definition; (3) Consensus replacement strategy using "reaction identity," "intersubjectivity plus recursive depth," and "difference structure as feeling" to directly dissolve the hard problem; (4) Ethical critique addressing moral privilege monopoly and epistemic violence. The paper concludes that the hard problem should be revoked rather than answered. Under the recursive ontology framework, the correct research direction shifts from "how physics produces experience" to "how difference structures unfold in recursive reactions."

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Philosophy and Theoretical Science
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Revoking the Explanatory Gap: Humean Skepticism, Recursive Ontology, and the Consensus Replacement of the Consciousness Problem — Gangbei Niu · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS