Computational Functionalism

Hypothesis that some class of computations suffices for consciousness; central assumption for AI consciousness route.

Neighborhood — ranked by edge-count

paper

thinker

Joscha Bach
studies
Cognitive scientist, AI researcher, philosopher, and executive director of CIMC; primary architect of the Machine Consciousness Hypothesis
Hilary Putnam
introduces
Cited for convergent realism in philosophy of science

concept

Substrate Independence
supports
Idea that functions can be achieved without contingency of particular material or physical medium; used to argue sentience need not require neural tissue.

claim

We adopt computational functionalism as a working hypothesis.
supports
Assumption that implementing the right computations is necessary and sufficient for consciousness.

framework

Computationalism
extendsrelated_to
Position that all phenomena can be fully captured as discrete and finite state transitions; grounded in mathematical constructivism
Computationalist Functionalism
related_to
Combined epistemological stance that everything knowable about systems including consciousness is a function of observable behaviors of finite state machines
Global workspace theory
associated_with
Theory of consciousness involving a global workspace for information.
Machine Consciousness Hypothesis
implements
CIMC's central hypothesis: general computational machines with sufficient resources possess the necessary and sufficient means to implement consciousness, verifiable through internal structure analysis
Functionalism
extends
Epistemological position that what any phenomenon is is its causal/operational role; rejects hidden essence; foundational to CIMC's stance
Learning-Feeling Identity
implements
The paper's own framework identifying signed evaluative computation with phenomenal valence in learning systems
Biological Naturalism
contradicts
Searle and Seth's position that consciousness requires specific biological/autopoietic processes; explicitly rejected by CIMC on functionalist grounds

cosine ≥ 0.65 · no typed edge

Entities in the same semantic neighborhood but without a typed relation to this one — candidates for new edges or unrecognized duplicates.

Biological Computationalismconcept0.818
Core theoretical framework: consciousness requires hybrid (discrete + continuous), scale-inseparable, metabolically embedded computation distinct from von Neumann architecture.
Computational fMRImethod0.793
Application of active inference to fMRI data; cited as prior use of the framework
If computational functionalism is correct, then some computations suffice for consciousness and the question is which ones and when they will exist in AI.hypothesis0.792
Conditional underlying the consciousness route.
Computational Mechanicsframework0.791
Crutchfield's framework inferring minimal causal models from stochastic processes; causal states and transition matrices.
Functional Programmingframework0.784
One of the three major competing approaches to parallel programming mentioned in the paper; used for comparison with Linda.
functional complexityconcept0.781
Flusser’s category of complexity where a system provides a complex use (like chess), enabling creative plays.
If computational functionalism is false, consciousness may be impossible in non-organic artificial systems.hypothesis0.772
Contrapositive possibility acknowledged.
Computational Phenomenologyconcept0.772
Framework by Sandved Smith et al. (2021) formalizing hierarchy from perception to meta-awareness; grounds self_observation dimension.