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The philosopher Colin McGinn has suggested that certain philosophical questions which have gone unanswered despite much attention are evidence for human cogniti

The philosopher Colin McGinn has suggested that certain philosophical questions which have gone unanswered despite much attention are evidence for human cognitive limitations. He calls this cognitive closure. The nature of consciousness being one such example.

philipov 4y ago
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, though. We have had other questions that have sat unanswered for centuries that had a breakthrough and were figured out when the time was right. The answer might just be eluding us because there are other questions we need to solve first. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evidence_of_absence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evidence_of_absence
- bumby 4y ago
  How would you relate that to the OP's example of the nature of consciousness? The hard problem of consciousness seems particularly suited to avoid the mechanisms that "we" "know" anything (e.g., objective evidence and the scientific method).
- mistermann 4y ago
  > Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, though. It is evidence for it, but not proof. There's an essay somewhere out there go into more detail on the matter. Relevant to the article: is meme-based cognition net beneficial or harmful? What if examined across different dimensions? Also: is it still net beneficial that humanity invests most of its resources in studying physical reality, or might studying metaphysical reality generate a larger return on investment? Might there be a way to ~trick humanity into being able to discuss such ideas in a serious manner?
- the_af 4y ago
  From your link: > Despite what the expression may seem to imply, a lack of evidence can be informative. For example, when testing a new drug, if no harmful effects are observed then this suggests that the drug is safe. Evidence of absence is at least a non-arbitrary but partial suggestion of absence.
optimalsolver 4y ago
How would you distinguish cognitive limitations from having insufficient data?
- goatlover 4y ago
  When the issue is primarily conceptual and is unlikely to be settled by more data. That's the argument made for the hard problem of consciousness. It's not about evidence, since the nature of evidence is objective and abstract, while consciousness is subjective and concrete. Similarly with metaphysical matters, evidence isn't going to tell us whether the nature of reality or causation is X, because the evidence is empirically-based. Which won't tell you whether Kant, Hume, Berkeley or Tegmark is right. Maybe reality is all mathematical, mental, contingent, or unknowable, but how would evidence decide the matter?

philipov 4y ago

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, though. We have had other questions that have sat unanswered for centuries that had a breakthrough and were figured out when the time was right. The answer might just be eluding us because there are other questions we need to solve first. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evidence_of_absence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evidence_of_absence

bumby 4y ago
How would you relate that to the OP's example of the nature of consciousness? The hard problem of consciousness seems particularly suited to avoid the mechanisms that "we" "know" anything (e.g., objective evidence and the scientific method).
mistermann 4y ago
> Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, though. It is evidence for it, but not proof. There's an essay somewhere out there go into more detail on the matter. Relevant to the article: is meme-based cognition net beneficial or harmful? What if examined across different dimensions? Also: is it still net beneficial that humanity invests most of its resources in studying physical reality, or might studying metaphysical reality generate a larger return on investment? Might there be a way to ~trick humanity into being able to discuss such ideas in a serious manner?
the_af 4y ago
From your link: > Despite what the expression may seem to imply, a lack of evidence can be informative. For example, when testing a new drug, if no harmful effects are observed then this suggests that the drug is safe. Evidence of absence is at least a non-arbitrary but partial suggestion of absence.

optimalsolver 4y ago

How would you distinguish cognitive limitations from having insufficient data?

goatlover 4y ago
When the issue is primarily conceptual and is unlikely to be settled by more data. That's the argument made for the hard problem of consciousness. It's not about evidence, since the nature of evidence is objective and abstract, while consciousness is subjective and concrete. Similarly with metaphysical matters, evidence isn't going to tell us whether the nature of reality or causation is X, because the evidence is empirically-based. Which won't tell you whether Kant, Hume, Berkeley or Tegmark is right. Maybe reality is all mathematical, mental, contingent, or unknowable, but how would evidence decide the matter?