#158 Could Consciousness Be an Illusion?
Summary
Host Alex discusses illusionism with philosopher Keith Frankish, who argues that while conscious experiences like pain are real, our intuitive view of them as private, non-physical qualia is an illusion. Frankish explains that consciousness consists of complex, evolved functional processes and introspective monitoring rather than mysterious inner properties. He uses the example of a patient regaining sight to illustrate how perceptual significance is learned, not passively received. The conversation also addresses philosophical zombies, suggesting that if a being is physically identical to …
Topics discussed
Introduction and the nature of subjective experience
Sponsor segment: Ground News media bias tool
The philosophical zombie argument and behavioralism
The illusion of the self and consciousness
Abstract objects, Sherlock Holmes, and representation
Defining qualia through effects and reactions
Historical origins of Cartesian dualism
Emergence, AI consciousness, and conclusion
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