this post was submitted on 17 Dec 2025
47 points (100.0% liked)

philosophy

20217 readers
2 users here now

Other philosophy communities have only interpreted the world in various ways. The point, however, is to change it. [ x ]

"I thunk it so I dunk it." - Descartes


Short Attention Span Reading Group: summary, list of previous discussions, schedule

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Personally I think it's silly as hell. Qualia is obviously a biological component of experience... Not some weird thing that science will never be able to put in to words.

I've been listening to a lot of psychology podcasts lately and for some reason people seem obsessed with the idea despite you needing to make the same logical leaps to believe it as any sort of mysticism... Maybe I am just tripping idk

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] immuredanchorite@hexbear.net 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

So you can feel pain, while in the same scenario it gives me pleasure, and you think that subjective experience is an objective “thing” that both of us are sharing? and we can know that? I am not saying that nothing is occurring, but I don't think “qualia” is a falsifiable or useful way to describe what is occurring

[–] BrainInABox@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

that subjective experience is an objective “thing” that both of us are sharing?

Not exactly. We're not sharing anything; we both have our own subjective experiences that are inaccessible to each other. The point is that the subjective experiences happen at all. Compare this to just putting a rock or a printer on a stove.

and we can know that?

We can't know the other person has a subjective experiences for certain. But if you think you can't know about yourself that's the point of my comment: try putting your hand on a hot stove and convincing yourself you don't know if you're in pain or not.

but I don’t think “qualia” is a falsifiable or useful way to describe what is occurring

Again, try putting your hand on a stove and convincing yourself that this is no different than putting a rock on the stove.