more from this thinker | more from this text
Full Idea
By the different structure of our organs the same object could produce in several men's minds different ideas, viz. if the idea that a violet produced in one man's mind by his eyes were the same that a marigold produced in another man's.
Gist of Idea
The same object might produce violet in one mind and marigold in another
Source
John Locke (Essay Conc Human Understanding (2nd Ed) [1694], 2.32.15)
Book Ref
Locke,John: 'Essay Concerning Human Understanding', ed/tr. Nidditch,P.H. [OUP 1979], p.389
A Reaction
This is Locke's original proposal that inverted qualia might be possible, but note that he proposes a physical basis for the inversion, in 'different structures'. Without that, claiming qualia inversion is the same as claiming that zombies are possible.
| 2421 | There is nothing illogical about inverted qualia [Locke] |
| 3522 | The same object might produce violet in one mind and marigold in another [Locke] |
| 3389 | Inverted qualia and zombies suggest experience isn't just functional [Kim] |
| 3391 | Crosswiring would show that pain and its function are separate [Kim, by PG] |
| 7376 | We can't assume that dispositions will remain normal when qualia have been inverted [Dennett] |
| 3229 | If colour fits a cone mapping hue, brightness and saturation, rotating the cone could give spectrum inversion [Rey] |
| 4107 | With inverted qualia a person's experiences would change, but their beliefs remain the same [Crane] |
| 2402 | It seems possible to invert qualia [Chalmers] |