In this paper I argue that the prioritization of sensory input by
top-down attention is constitutive of and essential to
conscious perception. Specifically, I argue that top-down
attention is required to provide informational integration at
the level of the subject, which can be contrasted with
integration at the level of features and objects. Since the
informational content of conscious perception requires
integration at the level of the subject, top-down attention is
necessary for conscious perception as we know it. I present
this argument through a theory, which I call the “Standard
Theory.” According to this theory, top-down attention brings
about subject-level integration for sensory input by
prioritizing that input with respect to a subject-level standard