I failed to understand what qualia were. Their attempts at explanation failed to engage with anything in my introspection, and in some cases seemed like word salad. I was eventually led to the conclusion that one of the following was true: (a) I am too dumb to understand qualia. Probably not true, since I am smart enough for most things. (B) It’s one of those wooly concepts that continental philosophers like, and doesn’t actually have a referent. Probably not true, since down-to-earth philosophers, like Dennet or Ned Block, talk about it. (C) my cognition is such that I don’t have what they were trying to point at.
I am in total agreement with you in this thread (I saw you link it on X), every instance of trying to get anyone to explain qualia, I feel either too stupid, or it just seems like total word salad to me too. I think Dennett is broadly correct!
One strange/funny thing that I would also add is that I think there could be a genetic component, not 100% certain, BUT I am from Yorkshire, and one of the leading proponents of illusionism who also doesn’t believe in qualia is Keith Frankish is from Yorkshire too! As I understand it your Mum was also from Yorkshire? Maybe we lack the qualia gene! (I’m not certain I actually believe this I just found it a funny coincidence).
The illusion of qualia (if they are indeed an illusion) could be a spandrel which is not subject to selection, only drift; it seems incredibly difficult to dispel on purpose (unlike e.g. the illusions of the self or free will, which both can be dispelled through enough meditation), so it’s not implausible that it’s actually genetic, which would be wild. I might decide to research more on this topic in the future, if so could I contact you?
When you see the color red, what is that like? When you run your hand over something rough and bumpy, what is that like? When you taste salt, what is that like?
I failed to understand what qualia were. Their attempts at explanation failed to engage with anything in my introspection, and in some cases seemed like word salad. I was eventually led to the conclusion that one of the following was true: (a) I am too dumb to understand qualia. Probably not true, since I am smart enough for most things. (B) It’s one of those wooly concepts that continental philosophers like, and doesn’t actually have a referent. Probably not true, since down-to-earth philosophers, like Dennet or Ned Block, talk about it. (C) my cognition is such that I don’t have what they were trying to point at.
D) the idea that the word must mean something weird, since it is a strange word—it cannot be an unfamilar term for something familiar.
You said you had the experience of redness. I told you that’s a quale. Why didn’t that tell you what “qualia” means?
I am in total agreement with you in this thread (I saw you link it on X), every instance of trying to get anyone to explain qualia, I feel either too stupid, or it just seems like total word salad to me too. I think Dennett is broadly correct!
Nice to meet someone else with a similar problem/advantage!
One strange/funny thing that I would also add is that I think there could be a genetic component, not 100% certain, BUT I am from Yorkshire, and one of the leading proponents of illusionism who also doesn’t believe in qualia is Keith Frankish is from Yorkshire too! As I understand it your Mum was also from Yorkshire? Maybe we lack the qualia gene! (I’m not certain I actually believe this I just found it a funny coincidence).
The illusion of qualia (if they are indeed an illusion) could be a spandrel which is not subject to selection, only drift; it seems incredibly difficult to dispel on purpose (unlike e.g. the illusions of the self or free will, which both can be dispelled through enough meditation), so it’s not implausible that it’s actually genetic, which would be wild. I might decide to research more on this topic in the future, if so could I contact you?
Yes please feel free to!
I guess that was my thread? If so: happy to, uh, help, and wonderful to find people with this unusual condition!
When you see the color red, what is that like? When you run your hand over something rough and bumpy, what is that like? When you taste salt, what is that like?