[extropy-chat] Qualia Bet

[Marc Geddes]

There are three possibilities as regards the 'qualia' question:



(1) Qualia are a separate substance which can exist independently of the
material world (substance dualism)



(2)  'Qualia' is simply a misnomer - all that exists are physical processes
(materialism)



(3)  'Qualia' themselves are not physical, but they are entirely *caused by*
and *dependent on* physical processes (non-reductive physicalism)



(1) Seems to have been largely ruled out by modern science but options (2)
and (3) are still very much alive.  Daniel Dennett would be an example of
someone who champions (2), David Chalmers an example of someone who
champions (3).

---

As regards bets on qualia, in an earlier thread) and threw out my idea for
future historians.

---

Of course, I believe in option (3).  I'm sure that whilst qualia are
*generated by* physical processes, qualia themselves are not material.  My
solution to the qualia puzzle was that time is three dimensional and
consciousness is simply a process on a 'higher dimensional' time-line.  This
certainly has everyone around the transhumanist lists thinking I'm a nut and
a crank.  None the less, it seems perfectly obvious to me at least that time
is indeed three dimensional.





So either I'm gonna get seriously 'cream pied' as one of the lists biggest
arses/cranks, or I'm gonna go down as the guy that gave a correct answer to
the qualia puzzle in my spare time using only intuition, where 2000 years of
scientists and philosophers before me failed :D



Before I was playing puzzles as a game.  This time I'm playing for the
entire observable universe. How's that for high stakes? ;)


My advise:  Always bet on Geddes.

--
To see a World in a grain of sand,
And Heaven in a wild flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.
-William Blake

Please visit my web-site:
http://www.riemannai.org/
Sci-Fi, Science and Fantasy
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