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Single Idea 5788

[filed under theme 15. Nature of Minds / B. Features of Minds / 5. Qualia / a. Nature of qualia ]

Full Idea

I am hesitant to use the word 'quale/qualia', because it gives the impression that there are two separate phenomena, consciousness and qualia.

Gist of Idea

The use of 'qualia' seems to imply that consciousness and qualia are separate

Source

John Searle (The Mystery of Consciousness [1997], Ch.1)

Book Ref

Searle,John R.: 'The Mystery of Consciousness' [Granta 1997], p.8


A Reaction

He is trying to resist going back to 'sense-data', sitting uneasily between reality and our experience of it. Personally I am quite happy with qualia as an aspect of consciousness - just as I am happy with consciousness as an 'aspect' of brain.


The 17 ideas with the same theme [what we should take qualia to be]:

Descartes put thought at the centre of the mind problem, but we put sensation [Rey on Descartes]
The use of 'qualia' seems to imply that consciousness and qualia are separate [Searle]
Qualia are just the properties objects are represented as having [Dretske]
I say Mary does not have new knowledge, but knows an old fact in a new way [Perry on Jackson]
Is it unfair that physicalist knowledge can be written down, but dualist knowledge can't be [Perry on Jackson]
Mary knows all the physical facts of seeing red, but experiencing it is new knowledge [Jackson]
Are pains pure qualia, or do they motivate? [Kim]
Part of the folk concept of qualia is what makes recognition and comparison possible [Lewis]
What is it like to notice an uncomfortable position when you are asleep? [Dennett]
Dennett denies the existence of qualia [Dennett, by Lowe]
Lobotomised patients can cease to care about a pain [Block]
Arithmetic and unconscious attitudes have no qualia [Rey]
Why qualia, and why this particular quale? [Rey]
If someone removes their glasses the content of experience remains, but the quality changes [Crane]
Sometimes we don't notice our pains [Chalmers]
Why should qualia fade during silicon replacement? [Chalmers]
Normal babies seem to have overlapping sense experiences [Carter,R]