| philos. |
hard problem of consciousness (indicated by the Australian philosopher David Chalmers; the hard problem of consciousness is the problem of explaining how and why we have qualia or phenomenal experiences – how sensations acquire characteristics, such as colors and tastes. The hard problem of consciousness contrasts this with the easy problems of explaining the ability to discriminate, integrate information, report mental states, focus attention, etc. Easy problems are easy because all that is required for their solution is to specify a mechanism that can perform the function. Chalmers claims that the problem of experience is distinct from this set, and he argues that the problem of experience will persist even when the performance of all the relevant functions is explained. The existence of a "hard problem" is controversial and has been disputed by philosophers such as Daniel Dennett and cognitive neuroscientists such as Stanislas Dehaene Alex_Odeychuk) |
