From: Rob Harris (rob@hbinternet.co.uk)
Date: Mon Feb 28 2000 - 09:05:48 MST
Dan wrote:
> So it is true that qualia itexistsdamnthefuckheads. Is it true by
> definition? Is it an axiom? Is it an inference? What?
Rob responds:
Whether it's "true by definition" or whatever else is not relevant to my
point. I'm merely pointing out that someone somewhere observed what is known
as qualia, and labelled it such. If IT doesn't compute according to the
current paradigm, that's just tough, the paradigm will have to shift. The
originally noted effect will never go away, regardless of any attempts to
get the fly out of the ointment. I do realise that effects such as
consciousness are extraordinary from the perspective of empirical science,
but this method is not the only one available - sometimes one just has to
accept that it's just a tool - the true discoveries, that is, the ideas that
guide the implementation of the empirical method, come from good old
fashioned philosophising. Maybe Hume was being a bit obtuse when he decided
to "commit it to the flame"........You can't measure everything with a 2-D
metre rule (metaphorically speaking of course).
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