Consciousness and Qualia

Front Cover
John Benjamins Publishing, 1998 - Philosophy - 367 pages
This is a philosophical study of qualitative consciousness, characteristic examples of which are pains, experienced colors, sounds, etc. Consciousness is analyzed as the "having" of "qualia." Phenomenal properties or "qualia" are problematical because they lack appropriate bearers. The relation of "having" is problematical because none of the typical candidates for this relation introspection, inner monitoring, higher level thoughts is capable of explaining what it looks like to have a quale . The "qualia problem" is solved by introducing a bundle theory of phenomenal objects. Phenomenal objects are bundles of qualia. Thus there is no need for independent qualia bearers. The "having problem" is solved by introducing a bundle theory of the self. To have a quale is for it to be in the bundle one is. Thus no further relations are needed to explain how qualia are had. This study strives for phenomenological adequacy. Thus the first-person point of view dominates throughout. (Series A)
 

Contents

HigherOrder Representation and Introspection
59
The Allure of Introspectionism
93
Consciousness and Qualia
121
Relocating Qualia
151
Having Relocated Qualia
211
Denying Relocated Qualia
214
Denying Relocated Qualia
229
The Having of Qualia
262
Notes
351
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Bibliographic information