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> There is a difference between the nature of a phenomenon and the nature of a phenomenon’s existence, and the existence of intentionality and qualia is self-ev
by tshaddox 3y ago
> There is a difference between the nature of a phenomenon and the nature of a phenomenon’s existence, and the existence of intentionality and qualia is self-evident.
I would argue that good faith rational inquiry should not begin by having a desired final conclusion in mind and declaring it to be self-evident.
- gobdovan 3y agoWould you be able to argue in favor of you not having intentionality or qualia? Considering qualia self-evident is not equivalent to starting an inquiry with a predetermined conclusion. Rather, it is acknowledging a foundational aspect of existence that is necessary for any further inquiry to take place. Although I agree that intersectionality could be inquired, qualia is the only thing that is literally self-evident. Qualia, by definition, refer to individual instances of subjective, conscious experience. This experience is immediately known to the experiencer and is, therefore, self-evident in a very basic sense.
- consilient 3y agoUnless you're doing math (and are willing to take first order logic as a priori true) you need to start with something. Learning about the world requires data, data requires identifying a data source, and identifying a data source requires knowing at least one thing about the world. As foundations go, it's hard to see how you could go any deeper than "I am having an experience".