Modeling Mental Qualities (Andrew Lee)

The standard framework for modeling the mental qualities of conscious experiences represents individual qualities via points in geometrical spaces, where distances between points inversely correspond to degrees of phenomenal similarity. I will (1) argue that the standard framework is structurally inadequate, and (2) develop a new framework that models mental qualities using regions, rather than points. I explain how this seemingly simple move not only delivers a formal framework that is more powerful and flexible, but also yields a variety of further theoretical fruits: it enables us to formulate novel hypotheses about the spaces and structures of mental qualities, formally differentiate two distinct dimensions of phenomenal similarity, generate a probabilistic model of the phenomenal sorites, formalize the concept of discriminatory grain, and acquire a new theoretical tool for the empirical investigation of consciousness. A noteworthy result is that, contrary to conventional wisdom, the quality-spaces for the mental qualities of conscious experiences are not isomorphic to the quality-spaces for the perceptible qualities of external objects.

Видео Modeling Mental Qualities (Andrew Lee) канала Mathematical Consciousness Science