What is it like to be ...? - Is there a hard problem?

5 important questions on What is it like to be ...? - Is there a hard problem?

What is the relationship between the easy/hard problems and consciousness?

It relates to Nagel’s question and gets at the central issues of the two thought experiments. The way people react to these thought experiments, is related to how they deal with the hard problem of consciousness.

What was meant with: the hard problem is unsolvable?

Some theorists think that there is a hard problem and agree that we will never solve it.


‘new mysterians’ have argued that the problem of subjectivity is uncontrollable or hopeless

What was meant with: tackle the easy problem?

Hunting for the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) is currently one of the most popular ways of scientifically studying consciousness and solving the hard problem is often presented as its goal. (they are tackling the easy problems as though they are the hard one)
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Into which problems is the hard problem divided?

- hard existence problem: why and how do we have phenomenal consciousness at all?


- hard character problem: why does particular brain activity feels like this and not like that?

What is the consciousness equation?

That the physical activity equals the experience. The only thing that stands in the way of solving the hard problem, is explanation of why materialism should seem false, even though it is true.

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