IngentaConnect Qualia and the Senses

Author: Ross P.W.¹

Source: The Philosophical Quarterly, Volume 51, Number 205, October 2001 , pp. 495-511(17)

Abstract:

In his paper ‘Some Remarks about the Senses’ H.P. Grice argues that our distinction among perceptual modalities requires that the modalities must be characterized in terms of the introspectable character of experience. I first show that Grice's argument provides support for the claim that perceptual experiences have qualia, namely, mental qualitative properties of experience which are what it is like to be conscious of perceived properties such as colour. I then defend intentionalism about experience, which rejects qualia, by showing that we need not appeal to differences in qualia in order to distinguish the senses. Rather I claim that we can appeal to, among other factors, differences in the physical properties of physical objects which experience represents.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/1467-9213.00243

Affiliations: 1: California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. pross@csupomona.edu

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