[extropy-chat] Qualia Bet

[gts]

Here is a reference to the blindsight phenomenon:

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro00/web3/Chivers.html

This passage is interesting:

"Studies done with subjects that exhibit blindsight have shown that they  
are able to guess reliably only about certain features of stimuli having  
to do with motion, location and direction of stimuli. They are also able  
to discriminate simple forms, and can shape their hands in a way  
appropriate to grasping the object when asked to try. Some may show color  
discrimination as well (2)."

Apparently they see Lockean primary qualities (motion, location and  
direction), but not secondary qualities.

However "some may show color discrimination as well." Color is a Lockean  
secondary quality. This goes straight to the question that Marc and I were  
discussing: should color be considered a primary quality of objects, real  
and intrinsic in the object in some platonic sense?

If a ripe tomato were the only object in a universe with no observers,  
would it still be correct to say it is red? If so then Locke was wrong and  
color is a primary quality.

-gts