{"doi":"10.1007/bf03379558","title":"Is Phenomenal Consciousness a Complex Structure?","abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Evolutionary explanations of psychological phenomena have become widespread. This paper examines a recent attempt by Nichols and Grantham (2000) to circumvent the problem of epiphenomenalism in establishing the selective status of consciousness. Nichols and Grantham (2000) argue that a case can be made for the view that consciousness is an adaptation based on its complexity. I set out this argument and argue that it fails to establish that phenomenal consciousness is a complex system. It is suggested that the goal of establishing consciousness as an adaptation may be better served by rejecting the distinction between access consciousness and phenomenal consciousness.</jats:p>","journal":"Activitas Nervosa Superior","year":2009,"id":41389,"datarank":0.12472364253661165,"base_score":0.6931471805599453,"endowment":0.6931471805599453,"self_citation_contribution":0.10397207708399181,"citation_network_contribution":0.020751565452619847,"self_endowment_contribution":0.10397207708399181,"citer_contribution":0.020751565452619847,"corpus_percentile":null,"corpus_rank":null,"citation_count":1,"citer_count":1,"citers_with_citation_signal":1,"citers_with_endowment":1,"datacite_reuse_total":0,"is_dataset":false,"is_dataset_confidence":null,"is_data_producer":false,"deposit_databanks":null,"is_oa":false,"file_count":0,"downloads":0,"has_version_chain":false,"published_date":null,"fair_score":null,"fair_percentile":null,"algorithm_id":"datarank_citation_only_1hop_v6","ranking_scope":"data_only","authors":[{"id":199427,"name":"Chuck Stieg","orcid":null,"position":0,"is_corresponding":false}],"reference_count":0,"raw_metadata":{"has_enrichment":true,"base_score":0.6931471805599453,"endowment":0.6931471805599453,"datacite_reuse_total":0,"file_count":0,"downloads":0,"views":0,"has_version_chain":false,"is_dataset":false,"is_oa":false,"pmid":"18998881","pmcid":null,"openalex_id":"https://openalex.org/W1552012807","authors":[],"funders":[],"total_grants":0,"fwci":0.3006,"citation_percentile":0.67261824,"influential_citations":0,"citation_trend":[{"year":2012,"count":1}],"oa_status":"hybrid","license":"cc-by","oa_locations":[{"url":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/BF03379558.pdf","host_type":"journal"},{"url":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/BF03379558.pdf","host_type":"HYBRID"},{"url":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/BF03379558.pdf","host_type":"publisher"},{"url":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF03379558/fulltext.html","host_type":"publisher"},{"url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03379558","host_type":"journal"},{"url":"http://cogprints.org/6765/6/Is_Phenomenal_Consciousness_a_Complex_System_Activatas_Nervosa_Superior.doc","host_type":"repository"},{"url":"http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.189.22","host_type":""},{"url":"http://cogprints.org/6173/2/PConsciousness%26ComplexitysubmitPhenom%26CogSci2.pdf","host_type":"repository"}],"fields_of_study":["Philosophy and Theoretical Science","Philosophy and History of Science","Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment","Psychology","Philosophy"],"mesh_terms":[],"keywords":["Consciousness","Argument (complex analysis)","Set (abstract data type)","Adaptation (eye)","Psychology","Cognitive science","Epistemology","Philosophy","Computer science","Neuroscience"],"sdg_mappings":[{"sdg_number":0,"sdg_label":"Reduced inequalities"}],"linked_datasets":[],"clinical_trials":[],"software_tools":[],"database_accessions":[],"source":"live","citation_network_status":"fetched"},"created_at":"2026-06-13T00:08:37.363599Z","pmid":null,"pmcid":null,"fwci":null,"citation_percentile":null,"influential_citations":0,"oa_status":null,"license":null,"views":0,"total_file_size_bytes":0,"version_count":0,"fair_f":null,"fair_a":null,"fair_i":null,"fair_r":null,"fair_zscore":null,"fair_rationale":null,"fair_model":null,"fair_agent_version":null,"fair_fulltext_source":null,"fair_has_llm":null,"fair_computed_at":null,"clinical_trials":[],"software_tools":[],"db_accessions":[],"linked_datasets":[],"topics":[]}