Against (theory-neutral) method (in consciousness science)
Neuroscience of Consciousness, vol.2026, no.1, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 2026 Issue: 1
- Publication Date: 2026
- Doi Number: 10.1093/nc/niag003
- Journal Name: Neuroscience of Consciousness
- Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus
- Keywords: inference to the best explanation, natural kind reasoning, theory-neutrality
- Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
This article challenges the assumption that the science of consciousness can proceed from a theory-neutral foundation. I argue that even ostensibly theory-neutral (or theory-light) programmes inevitably rely on substantive background commitments that cannot be cleanly bracketed. The analysis demonstrates that the aspiration to eliminate or minimize theory-dependence in favour of pure observation risks collapsing into naïve empiricism. More broadly, the paper contends that there is no context-independent scientific method—certainly not one that seeks to purge theoretical commitments from the neuroscience of consciousness without significant epistemic cost.