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From: jeff@aiai.ed.ac.uk (Jeff Dalton)
Subject: Re: Why scientists popularize premature speculations?
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Date: Tue, 6 Dec 1994 21:29:52 GMT
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In article <jqbD0Dx14.156@netcom.com> jqb@netcom.com (Jim Balter) writes:
>In article <D0CorF.I4t@gpu.utcc.utoronto.ca>,
>Andrzej Pindor <pindor@gpu.utcc.utoronto.ca> wrote:

>>The problem here is that consciousness is unlike other problems to which we
>>apply scientific methods. Scientific methods are applied to the world
>>reaching us through our senses whereas consciousnes is a phenomenon about
>>which we have knowledge without senses - we _know_ that we are conscious,
>>without involving sight, hearing, etc. Hence I doubt if scientific method is
>>suitable to studying consciousness understood this way.
>
>It seems to me that the perception of our own thoughts can be thought of as
>a sixth sense.  Unfortunately, it is as though each of us is sealed in a
>room.  We can each sense what is in our own room, but not anyone else's room.
>Additionally, we cannot bring any measuring instruments into the room.
>This makes the usual methods of science unavailable.

I agree with both paragraphs above (though I still feel science can
get moderately close).

However, I'm a bit surprised that Jim Balter is not saying that
consciousness and perhaps even perception of one's own thoughts
are ill-defined, vague, etc.  My "internal dialogue" is always
unacceptable to him, but "perception of our own thoughts" is ok?

-- jd



