Re: q*****

John Clark (jonkc@worldnet.att.net)
Mon, 13 Dec 1999 13:50:20 -0500

Dan Fabulich <daniel.fabulich@yale.edu> Wrote:

>In fact, many (most?) philosophers of mind who believe in
> qualia ALSO believe that zombies could exist,

Many (most?) philosophers act as though we've discovered nothing about physics, biology, logic, or computer science in the last 100 years, perhaps 200, in fact some think nothing important has happened since Aristotle.

>or, at least, that they are conceptually coherent.

Huh? If something is impossible yet the idea is coherent in your belief system then your belief system is wrong.

>Quoting Chalmers:
>It follows that no mere account of the physical process will tell us why experience arises.
>The emergence of experience goes beyond what can be derived from physical
>theory."

Well yes but there is nothing unique in that, it need not have anything to do with consciousness. I don't care what it is if you keep asking "why" after the statement "X happened because of Z" you will after about 6 or 7 questions be talking about quarks and the geometry of space- time, and after that all you can say is I don't know.

John K Clark jonkc@att.net