Final answer:
The debate on consciousness as an illusion addresses the gap between subjective experiences and scientific objectivity, with philosophers like Dennett and Frankish suggesting consciousness is a brain-constructed 'user illusion' to facilitate cognitive functions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The debate around consciousness being an illusion stems from attempting to reconcile our subjective experiences, or phenomenal consciousness, with objective scientific explanations. Philosophers such as Daniel Dennett and Keith Frankish describe consciousness as a 'user illusion', suggesting that what we perceive as a rich inner life is a construct of the brain, manufactured to aid in navigation and decision-making. These perspectives challenge the tradition of seeing consciousness as a genuine, intrinsic part of human experience and suggest it is more of a convincing interface.
Dennett, for instance, argues that consciousness is not as mysterious as it seems and that it can be explained through the processes of natural selection and evolution. Frankish employs the term 'illusionism' when describing phenomenal consciousness, providing a framework where our introspections do not reflect real inner experiences. Both serve to question the hard problem of consciousness, which is the challenge of explaining why and how physical processes in the brain give rise to subjective experience.