Why do we feel heat, but the thermometer just shows a reading? The article’s hypothesis is that the feeling is the specific way brain self-model processes temperature signals. Thermometer lacks that kind of complex self-modeling setup where the feeling would supposedly happen.
Good point about the history of ‘sensation’ and the risk of just redefining terms. The article tries to avoid that ‘bald assertion’ trap by hypothesizing the identity—that the feeling is the functional signature within the self-model, as the core of the proposed explanation, not just a label slapped on after describing the mechanism.
As the (updated) preamble notes, this is just one mechanistic hypothesis trying to reframe the question, offering a potential explanation, not claiming to have the final answer.
Why do we feel heat, but the thermometer just shows a reading? The article’s hypothesis is that the feeling is the specific way brain self-model processes temperature signals. Thermometer lacks that kind of complex self-modeling setup where the feeling would supposedly happen.
Good point about the history of ‘sensation’ and the risk of just redefining terms. The article tries to avoid that ‘bald assertion’ trap by hypothesizing the identity—that the feeling is the functional signature within the self-model, as the core of the proposed explanation, not just a label slapped on after describing the mechanism.
As the (updated) preamble notes, this is just one mechanistic hypothesis trying to reframe the question, offering a potential explanation, not claiming to have the final answer.
If qualia are functions , why can’t we have functional account of them?