The hard problem of consciousness

Notes

Claim

The hard problem of consciousness is to explain and understand subjective experiences—what it means to be conscious.

Explanation

The "easy" problem is to understand what is a reflex, how we see objects, etc. The hard problem is to explain what it means to be conscious. It is unclear, even if we see all neurons firing, where the subjective experience of seeing red comes from, or "what it's like to be a bat".

This is linked to the qualia—knowing red and seeing red is different.

Why it matters

Examples

Supporters

Opposers

Open questions

Is consciousness something that exists in the single neuron (perhaps leads to Consciousness is a fundamental property of nature)? Maybe it is something non-material dualism? Or maybe consciousness is a lie that we tell ourselves, like free will, and we are all just robots, destined to live in a world of Everything is a result of prior causes?

Visual

Overview

🔼Topic:: Nature and Limits of Knowledge ◀Origin:: David Chalmers 🔗Link::