I prefer the Daniel Dennett's argument that says that, if in fact Mary knew everything about the color red, then she would have known "why and how human neurology causes us to sense the 'qualia' of color[...] Mary would therefore already know exactly what to expect of seeing red, before ever leaving the room." (citation from Wikipedia). For me, this point (among others) shows that the Mary argument and the qualia concept are flawed.
Simply because we don't currently know how consciousness arises [I think it is an ill-posed question, by the fact that we are not fully aware of everything we claim to experience: change blindness for example.], doesn't mean we should give up on it. We have to--at the very least--try. That's the only way we'll find out for sure whether we will understand this quality.
A YT search for "mary argument" came up blank, so I dissected this out of another video.
I am uploading these videos for information value, and not because I am a mysterian "defeatist" like McGinn: watch?v=jhOqaetijUc
Nor am I a dualist -- "heaven" forbid!
Philosophy is interesting and has contributions to make, but it will be neuroscientists and/or neuroscience-informed philosophers who crack this question.
I prefer the Daniel Dennett's argument that says that, if in fact Mary knew everything about the color red, then she would have known "why and how human neurology causes us to sense the 'qualia' of color[...] Mary would therefore already know exactly what to expect of seeing red, before ever leaving the room." (citation from Wikipedia). For me, this point (among others) shows that the Mary argument and the qualia concept are flawed.
dcontard 8 months ago
My names Mary :D
invaderpink 1 year ago
@invaderpink
Are you, by any chance, a color-blind neuro-scientist?
EvolvedAtheist 1 year ago
@EvolvedAtheist no... but my dad is :D
invaderpink 1 year ago
@invaderpink
However, I'm willing to bet that your dad is not a color-blind, female neuro-scientist named Mary.
EvolvedAtheist 1 year ago
@EvolvedAtheist but if you combine us we are :D
invaderpink 1 year ago
@invaderpink
That sounds either incestuous or painful!
EvolvedAtheist 1 year ago 3
Imagine Mary, a 23rd century neuroscientist sitting in her state of the art laboratory next to a mac classic with a floppy disk drive.
Steve2323ZX 1 year ago 5
Simply because we don't currently know how consciousness arises [I think it is an ill-posed question, by the fact that we are not fully aware of everything we claim to experience: change blindness for example.], doesn't mean we should give up on it. We have to--at the very least--try. That's the only way we'll find out for sure whether we will understand this quality.
CathySander 2 years ago
I totally agree!
A YT search for "mary argument" came up blank, so I dissected this out of another video.
I am uploading these videos for information value, and not because I am a mysterian "defeatist" like McGinn: watch?v=jhOqaetijUc
Nor am I a dualist -- "heaven" forbid!
Philosophy is interesting and has contributions to make, but it will be neuroscientists and/or neuroscience-informed philosophers who crack this question.
EvolvedAtheist 2 years ago
@EvolvedAtheist There are a couple of Mary videos out there, including mine! Try searching for "Mary the colour (or "color") scientist".
philosophertoby 1 year ago
Or "knowledge argument"
philosophertoby 1 year ago
Thanks. I had searched a few months ago, but had not found another version. The more the Mary-er ;^/
EvolvedAtheist 1 year ago