(October 28, 2013 at 3:42 pm)ChadWooters Wrote: Question: Can you think of an experiment that would prove whether qualia are generated by physical processes versus facilitating them?
Those of us interested in philosophy of mind have a fair understanding of the issues and arguments surrounding the mind-body problem. To the best of my knowledge we all agree that a causal relationship exists between the brain-states and mental properties. How this fact is interpreted depends on whether you are a monist or dualist.
For philosophical reasons, I consider physical matter incapable of producing qualia and see the need for some other vehicle capable of supporting phenomena qualities (dualism). The analogy I use is that of a radio, which does not cause music, but is by virtue of its state can receive signals. Others consider first-person awareness an emergent property. They believe particular configurations of physical matter are capable of producing qualia as a non-fundamental property of reality.
Do you believe there is a non-philosophical way, i.e. scientific one, to determine which interpretation is correct?
The neurological evidence to date is sufficient for me to reject dualism.
Skepticism is not a position; it is an approach to claims.
Science is not a subject, but a method.
Science is not a subject, but a method.