Why do some physical systems possess consciousness, while others do not? We view consciousness not as a subjective experience, but rather as a physical event accompanying experience. Is this a question of physics? Or is it a question of the theory of causation? Physics and the theory of causation serve different descriptive purposes. To describe a causal model, we introduce an asymmetric relation between cause and effect that is necessary for describing causality, but not physical laws. We propose that the generation of consciousness is determined by a system's internal causal mechanisms, rather than by a system's functions (i.e., physically determined input-output relations). To explain these intrinsic causes, we focus on whole-to-parts causality. Traditionally, whole-to-parts causality is considered an emergent phenomenon rather than a mechanism. We devise a method for explicitly implementing these mechanisms in a causal model by examining how causes originating at higher levels are transmitted to lower levels within a system. We then propose a dual-laws model (DLM), which features distinct dynamical laws at higher and lower levels. Finally, we discuss the generation of functional consciousness and its causality based on the DLM.

翻译：为何某些物理系统拥有意识，而其他系统却没有？我们并非将意识视为主观体验，而是将其视为伴随体验的物理事件。这究竟是物理学的问题，还是因果理论的问题？物理学与因果理论服务于不同的描述目的。为了描述因果模型，我们引入了原因与结果之间的非对称关系，这种关系对于描述因果性而言是必要的，但并非物理定律所必需。我们提出，意识的生成是由系统内部因果机制决定的，而非由系统功能（即物理决定的输入-输出关系）决定。为解释这些内在原因，我们聚焦于整体对部分的因果性。传统上，整体对部分的因果性被视为涌现现象而非机制。我们设计了一种方法，通过考察源于较高层级的原因如何在系统内传递至较低层级，在因果模型中显式实现这些机制。随后我们提出了一种双定律模型（DLM），该模型在较高层级与较低层级上具有不同的动力学定律。最后，我们基于DLM讨论了功能意识的生成及其因果性。