[ExI] How not to make a thought experiment

[John Clark]

Since my last post Gordon Swobe has posted 4 times.
> 
> It should seem obvious that the world contains both subjective facts like toothaches and objective facts like mountains. It should seem equally obvious that consciousness exists, and that consciousness has certain qualities. The majority of people do in fact consider these things perfectly obvious. And contrary to the bafflegab promulgated by some quasi-intellectual pseudo-philosophers, on these subjects the majority of people have it exactly right.

Swobe has used this straw man argument many times, and I believe he is being disingenuous. Nobody on this list, or any rational person for that matter, seriously thinks he doesn't think. True, I have heard some say that consciousness is an illusion, and yes that is a bit dumb as it's not at all clear why it's more "illusionary" than any other perfectly respectable mental phenomena, but that's not as bad as saying it doesn't exist. No sane person thinks consciousness doesn't exists, although some very silly people may say so when they try (unsuccessfully) to sound sophisticated and provocative.

 John K Clark    




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