[extropy-chat] Qualia Bet.

[Emlyn]

On 25/11/05, Jef Allbright <jef at jefallbright.net> wrote:
> The gap itself is very interesting to me, and I think it hinges on a
> early developmental preference for either the subjective or objective
> basis in one's approach to describing the world, compounded by
> semantic ambiguity and cultural biases.
>
> - Jef

Here is someone who has changed camps.

I used to be a big supporter of the qualia concept (there's probably
quite a bit in the archives if one were to dig). But I find myself in
the materialist camp these days, because I can't find any support at
all for the theory of qualia, only big holes.

And of course, I feel as though I "experience" qualia in that
indefinable subjective way (I'm wearing a red t-shirt right now). But
given the shakiness of the concept when examined in detail, and the
basic fact that the human brain seems to be architected on the basis
of bullshitting itself at every possible turn, I view that subjective
experience with suspicion, to put it mildly.

--
Emlyn

http://emlynoregan.com   * blogs * music * software *
NaNoWriMo word count: 38211 (http://nanowrimo.org)