(March 10, 2012 at 12:19 am)ChadWooters Wrote:(March 9, 2012 at 11:34 pm)toro Wrote: Subjective experience is described by self-consistent physical theories that do not add anything (unobservable) to the universe.The laws of physics are generally self-consistent. Once the theory of everything has been work out that will be even more true. Still there isn't any place within the laws of physics that can even begin to account for mental phenomena like qualia. The claim that someday "science" will explain it strains the definition of science beyond how we currently define it. So far we have four fundamental forces and numerous constants. None of these require, predict, or account for the feeling of feeling or consciousness. My position is that we must use all the tools of inquiry to expand our understanding of the total reality, a reality that is both objective and subjective.
As stated above, the problem is conceptualization. You assume a feeling is different than any other value because you experience it. This assumes subjective existence in an objective world. Get rid of the later, keep the former, and you have quantum mechanics and arguably relativity.
(http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qm-relational/)
So, again, as happened with relativity if you accept the problem is conceptualization, not theory, you have a self-consistent physical theory with no magic required.
Also, speaking from experience I can tell you qualia are not objective as I have lived through some of mine changing (not disappearing).