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Full Idea
Consciousness and experience of qualities are often run together - a serious mistake, I think.
Gist of Idea
Consciousness and experience of qualities are not the same
Source
David M. Armstrong (Pref to new 'Materialist Theory' [1992], p.xvii)
Book Ref
Armstrong,D.M.: 'A Materialist Theory of Mind' [Routledge 1993], p.-7
A Reaction
A difficult claim to evaluate. Can we experience redness without being conscious of it? Could there be consciousness (e.g. of concepts) which didn't involve any qualities? I suspect that qualities are more basic than intentionality or consciousness.
7429 | Causal Functionalism says mental states are apt for producing behaviour [Armstrong] |
7432 | One mental role might be filled by a variety of physical types [Armstrong] |
7431 | The identity of mental states with physical properties is contingent, because the laws of nature are contingent [Armstrong] |
7434 | Behaviourism is false, but mind is definable as the cause of behaviour [Armstrong] |
7436 | The manifestations of a disposition need never actually exist [Armstrong] |
7437 | Consciousness and experience of qualities are not the same [Armstrong] |
7438 | A causal theory of mentality would be improved by a teleological element [Armstrong] |
7440 | Secondary qualities are microscopic primary qualities of physical things [Armstrong] |