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Raúl

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What might qualia be for? - 2007/08/09 22:58 This question about the function of phenomenology has several names. Philosopher David Chalmers call it the “hard problem” when he refers to the search of an explanation for the subjective experiences we feel when we are conscious. Qualia are the redness of red, the painfulness of pain, the experience of tasting lemon juice… Joseph Levine introduced the concept of “explanatory gap” to name the missing explanation between physical processes taking place in the brain and phenomenological aspects of consciousness.

At least one thing seems to be clear in the relation between perception and qualia. It seems that they always come together. If you are aware of color red, then you experience the feeling of redness. And that is probably true as well for other animals with central nervous system.

As discussed elsewhere in these forums, what could be the function of qualia, (if any)? Why does the brain create subjective sensations like fear when we are in danger if a simple kind of “danger-flag = true” would suffice to let me know that I should run away?

Richard Gregory [1] argues that the function of qualia is to signal the present in subjects like us that are able to have memories and imagine the future. There is a need to flag the present perceptions that need to be processed now. Qualia would be the mechanism by which present perceptions are presented more vivid than past memories or imaginations. Could this be the unique function of phenomenal consciousness?

[1] http://www.richardgregory.org Raúl Arrabales Moreno. conscious-robots.com/raul

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Brent.Allsop
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Re:What might qualia be for? - 2009/07/06 00:51 Hi Raúl,

This is a great question! I think that more important from distinguishing from present knowledge and memories of such is simply being able to distinguish the difference between any knowledge.

Computers use abstract distinguishable differences (ones vs zeros), for which what the fundamental differences are is, by design, not important.

For us, on the other hand, what our representations are fundamental and phenomenally like (red vs green) is, by design, of critical importance. The reason we are aware of the red strawbery amongst the green leaves, is precisely because we are phenomenally aware of red vs green and can tell onen from the other.

I'm in the Nature has Phenomenal Properties camp at canonizer.com in case you are interested in more of what I believe about qualia

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Raúl

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Re:What might qualia be for? - 2009/07/08 15:05 Yes, I agree phenomenal consciousness is central to the function of biological conscious organisms. Interestingly, there are now growing discussions about phenomenal aspects of consciousness being also central in Machine Consciousness.

See for instance:

--> Phenomenal Machine Consciousness

Also, in relation with the role of qualia and Mary's argument of Frank Jackson, Pentti Haikonen has put it in a simple way to understand in this paper:

"The Role of Qualia in Machine Consciousness; Nothing or Everything? (The Answer Is YES)". (See Nokia Workshop proceedings)

But I always go back to the original problem: the difference between purely functional representations and phenomenal representations... i.e. the philosophical zombie problem. Raúl Arrabales Moreno. conscious-robots.com/raul

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