Hard problem of Consciousness

Do you agree that there is such a thing as a hard problem of consciousness, Veeky Forums? Are the phenomenal properties of consciousness a mystery our current scientific frameworks cannot even begin to solve?

strawpoll.me/15257248

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I hate the way you (and others) phrase it because you make it sound like something mystical and/or magical. We just don't understand how it works, but there's no magic.

The question isn't whether or not the problem exists, it's whether it has a satisfying answer.

I think it's reducible to physics. I don't know that we are we intelligent enough to solve it.

Also what is phenomenal consciousness vs. just consciousness?

>Also what is phenomenal consciousness vs. just consciousness?
I'll copy-paste something I've written in other threads:

Most commonly, consciousness simply refers to the function of the brain: How we react to environmental stimuli, control our behavior, categorize information, and use language. It seems like biology can in principle easily account for everything that goes on here. This leaves out the other side to consciousness, which is commonly referred to as "phenomenal consciosuness", which is what the hard problem is about. Here we are asking the question of why it feels like anything to be you from the inside, why all the functions of the brain emerging from every molecule interaction doesn't just happen without a phenomenological subject there to experience it. To pose it in a slightly different language: Why there is an "I" present? An "I" does not need to be present, hypothetically, for you to exhibit the exact same behavior.

Phenomenal consciousness is the only thing in the world where outlining the behavior doesn't seem to get you anywhere. For every other thing, no matter how complicated, it can in principle be reduced to the complex behavior of elementary particles (or quantum interactions); axioms like "things exist in the universe and behave a certain way" usually buys you a lot of explanatory power over any phenomena, but when it comes to phenomenal consciousness, this approach runs into a wall. No matter how something behaves, it seems it shouldn't be able to amount to anything but more behavior, yet we also get phenomenal experience. This highlights a big gap between explaining how something functions, and explaining phenomenal experience. From this gap between function and experience, we can infer that we're dealing with something radically different here; something where the behavior doesn't even begin to account for the core phenomena.

I see, in the past I've used the word "sentient" to describe that side of consciousness. You seem much more well read on the subject than myself but I still find it interesting.

It's difficult because I can tell you for sure that I am experiencing things right now but I can't prove it. I have no way of quantifying it. I used to think "I" is an illusion but who or what would that illusion be meant to fool?

Wrong, it's not at all universally accepted that there's a "hard problem" in the sense Chalmers defined it. If you mean figuring out brain functionality in general is "hard" that's something different, but not everyone buys that "qualia" exist in the first place beyond being abstract concepts we reference as though they were real.

We're fooling ourselves.

Many simultaneous processes (or algorithms) are running in our brains at all times. We can see some of them working and we can see what happens when selective regions malfunction.
How they all result in a single "sense of self" is THE problem.

There's no little homunculus looking out of our eyes. Nor is there a "team" in the driver's seat like Inside Out. And there's no need to assume consciousness requires something immaterial.

I think we will eventually build machinery which we'll have to concede is "conscious", by the same standards we apply to other people. They act the same way we do.
I offer no guesses as to when that'll happen.

We can only ever be SURE about ourselves, but denying consciousness to others is solipsism.

>doesn't just happen without a phenomenological subject there to experience it.

Who says there is a subject there?

There is no more a unique "I" than there is a unique arm or leg.

Unique or not, there is an I. At least in my case.

>At least in my case.

Not really. Think of the millions of people like you who share similar a experience, appearance and internal structure. It's just the fact that consciousness is hidden that makes measuring it harder.

Couldn't it be that phenomenal consciousness, as you describe it, is something we experience to give us a sense of self so that we can act as independent agents? Your "phenomenal consciousness" seems to be more a description of ego, and ego evolved to keep us selfish enough for our genes to keep spreading.

This all depends on assuming there is "phenomenal experience" in the first place. And the only argument I've ever seen for making that assumption is something along the lines of "it's obvious it's real because I believe it's real!"
>I used to think "I" is an illusion but who or what would that illusion be meant to fool?
That's a misleading question because it assumes "illusions" need to "fool somebody" when the "illusion" here is meant to explain why the concept of a "somebody" exists.
So of course if the concept of a "somebody" has no substance to it then there is no real "somebody" being "fooled." That shouldn't be surprising since language is one of the main things influenced by this false belief (note: false belief is a better term here than illusion because false beliefs don't require "qualia" while illusions arguably do assume "qualia" are real depending on what definition is being associate with that term by each person encountering it).
False beliefs aren't mysterious at all incidentally. All it requires is behavior operating in terms of a premise that isn't true. A very simple artificial appliance could fit the bill on that count. "Illusion" is the term pro-"hard problem" types love to bring up an throw around because it lets them imply the conclusion they're trying to argue for through the bad argument that is language connotations. Might as well argue the Sun revolves around the Earth because the words "sunrise" an "sunset" exist. All that proves is language is very much a product of what people believe, an when tracking down the nature of a false belief there is a strong possibility language reflecting that false belief will come up.

What on earth are you on about? I'm referring to the fact that I'm experiencing something right now. What does "millions of other people" have to do with is?

>False beliefs
>what people believe
Who holds these false beliefs?

>I'm referring to the fact that I'm experiencing something right now.

Who isn't?

>Who isn't?
Ok.

I somewhat fail to understand what positing this question is ultimately trying to serve.

How is this a 'hard' problem? Is it just other humans asking 'how do I know anyone else is real?' in their own way, hoping that their particular perspective will be respected/absorbed?

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>post yfw phenomenal consciousness in rare and most people you met are just walking husks pretending to be real

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>go 80808 yourself robot

Why would another sentient creature bother advertising their existence in this manner? Are you attempting to mimic some sort of hive/swarm intelligence?

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This is a good point. Why do we care about the hard problem? The hard problem seems to be our way of grappling with solipsism. Where solipsism is seen as some sort of threat to morality.

BUT you can grapple with solipsism in other ways. Believing and acting as if others are conscious is PREFERABLE to me. Its kinda lonely otherwise lol.

You are closed up like a box. It is a good thing as the ubercon/sci/ is here to set you free. Open wide and feel its all in your tight little one, faggot.

Theres no such thing as consciousness. You only know for sure that you're conscious at one point in time. The consciousness before and after that point isn't even you, it just thinks its you because it has the same memories. At any point in time you are just a system that comes into existence, changes, next one comes into existence etc.

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You have never been more wrong, but the ubercon/sci/ does not mind what you believe. It is okay if you believe the all is popping in and out of you, just so long as you take it in. Faggot.

Don't call me a faggot. I hope your mum gets cancer and dies idiot.

Man that was really mean what that other inhabitant of your body thinks of the all coming in. Its a new moment, are ready for some consciousness expansion faggot?
>A thing that exists will never not exist.
>That autistic rage twink inside is you.

youre literally retarded

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