{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7162067390","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.21506","title":"Canonical Functionalism: Defining Functional Structure without Observer-Relative Semantic Maps","display_name":"Canonical Functionalism: Defining Functional Structure without Observer-Relative Semantic Maps","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-05-09","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7162067390","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.21506"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.21506","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.21506","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.21506","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5049957600","display_name":"Ryota Kanai","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0186-2687"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Kanai, Ryota","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5136741907","display_name":"Shuqin Ma","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Ma, Shuqin","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":0,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11883","display_name":"Embodied and Extended Cognition","score":0.5562999844551086,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2805","display_name":"Cognitive Neuroscience"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/28","display_name":"Neuroscience"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/1","display_name":"Life Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11883","display_name":"Embodied and Extended Cognition","score":0.5562999844551086,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2805","display_name":"Cognitive Neuroscience"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/28","display_name":"Neuroscience"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/1","display_name":"Life Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10258","display_name":"Philosophy and Theoretical Science","score":0.30079999566078186,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3205","display_name":"Experimental and Cognitive Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10622","display_name":"Quantum Mechanics and Applications","score":0.015399999916553497,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3107","display_name":"Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/31","display_name":"Physics and Astronomy"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/functionalism","display_name":"Functionalism (philosophy of mind)","score":0.7505999803543091},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/counterfactual-thinking","display_name":"Counterfactual thinking","score":0.6624000072479248},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/consciousness","display_name":"Consciousness","score":0.38040000200271606},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/task","display_name":"Task (project management)","score":0.3596999943256378},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/state","display_name":"State (computer science)","score":0.35760000348091125},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/semantic-property","display_name":"Semantic property","score":0.3375999927520752}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C43252294","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1377166","display_name":"Functionalism (philosophy of mind)","level":2,"score":0.7505999803543091},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C108650721","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1783253","display_name":"Counterfactual thinking","level":2,"score":0.6624000072479248},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.5062000155448914},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.41190001368522644},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C186720457","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7087","display_name":"Consciousness","level":2,"score":0.38040000200271606},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780451532","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q759676","display_name":"Task (project management)","level":2,"score":0.3596999943256378},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C48103436","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q599031","display_name":"State (computer science)","level":2,"score":0.35760000348091125},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C198942812","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q496618","display_name":"Semantic property","level":2,"score":0.3375999927520752},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C33923547","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q395","display_name":"Mathematics","level":0,"score":0.3255999982357025},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C152385842","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1194916","display_name":"Mereology","level":2,"score":0.3255999982357025},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C188147891","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q147638","display_name":"Cognitive science","level":1,"score":0.3109999895095825},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2781238097","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q175026","display_name":"Object (grammar)","level":2,"score":0.30820000171661377},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C80444323","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2878974","display_name":"Theoretical computer science","level":1,"score":0.2847000062465668},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C184337299","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1437428","display_name":"Semantics (computer science)","level":2,"score":0.2712000012397766},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C204707403","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1152398","display_name":"Canonical form","level":2,"score":0.27070000767707825},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C198082294","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3399648","display_name":"Position (finance)","level":2,"score":0.2597000002861023}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.21506","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.21506","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.21506","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.21506","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Computational":[0],"functionalism":[1,22],"about":[2,173],"consciousness":[3,140],"is":[4,30,80,125,146,200],"often":[5],"criticized":[6],"for":[7,127],"relying":[8],"on":[9],"observer-relative":[10,179],"interpretations":[11,164],"of":[12,21,139],"physical":[13],"systems.":[14],"This":[15,169],"paper":[16],"proposes":[17],"a":[18,52,78],"mathematical":[19],"refinement":[20],"that":[23,31,66,96,122],"avoids":[24],"this":[25,76,104],"problem.":[26],"The":[27,108],"central":[28],"idea":[29],"consciousness-relevant":[32,149],"functional":[33,55,123,157],"organization":[34,124],"should":[35,141],"be":[36,142],"identified":[37],"not":[38,111,184],"with":[39,51],"arbitrary":[40,162],"input-output":[41],"mappings,":[42],"semantic":[43,163],"labels,":[44],"or":[45,152,165],"externally":[46],"imposed":[47],"computational":[48],"descriptions,":[49],"but":[50,189],"system's":[53],"canonical":[54,106,133,156,198],"structure:":[56],"the":[57,89,132,144,191,196],"minimal":[58],"state-transition":[59],"structure":[60,199],"obtained":[61],"by":[62,83,185],"identifying":[63],"internal":[64],"states":[65],"have":[67],"identical":[68],"future":[69,100],"behavior":[70],"under":[71,98],"all":[72],"possible":[73,99],"continuations.":[74],"On":[75],"view,":[77],"state":[79,97],"functionally":[81],"defined":[82],"its":[84],"complete":[85],"counterfactual":[86],"role:":[87],"how":[88],"system":[90],"would":[91],"evolve":[92],"and":[93,178,202],"respond":[94],"from":[95],"interactions.":[101],"We":[102],"call":[103],"position":[105],"functionalism.":[107],"framework":[109],"does":[110],"claim":[112],"to":[113,120,147,193],"identify":[114],"which":[115,136,205],"systems":[116],"are":[117,209],"conscious,":[118],"nor":[119],"show":[121],"sufficient":[126],"consciousness.":[128],"Rather,":[129],"it":[130],"identifies":[131],"object":[134],"over":[135,155,161],"functionalist":[137,192],"theories":[138],"formulated:":[143],"task":[145],"specify":[148,194],"invariants,":[150],"measures,":[151],"structural":[153,207],"conditions":[154],"structures,":[158],"rather":[159],"than":[160],"superficial":[166],"behavioral":[167],"profiles.":[168],"reframes":[170],"familiar":[171],"objections":[172],"lookup":[174],"tables,":[175],"simulations,":[176],"unfolding,":[177],"computation:":[180],"such":[181],"cases":[182],"do":[183],"themselves":[186],"refute":[187],"functionalism,":[188],"force":[190],"whether":[195],"relevant":[197],"preserved,":[201],"if":[203],"not,":[204],"additional":[206],"features":[208],"missing.":[210]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-01T06:00:48.157686","created_date":"2026-05-23T00:00:00"}
