REFLECTIONS ON QUALIA: CONTEMPLATING THE ESSENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Abstract

The mind/body problem has long confounded metaphysicians, epistemologists, and scientists alike, prompting numerous attempts to unravel its complexities. Presently, attention is increasingly drawn to consciousness as a potential key to understanding and resolving this age-old enigma. Contemporary discourse on the mind/body problem revolves around the exploration of consciousness's nature and properties, with the aim of leveraging such insights to address the puzzle at hand. Central to these discussions are two opposing camps: physicalists and anti-physicalists. Physicalists contend that consciousness's properties can be comprehensively explained through empirical means, particularly by elucidating the physical processes within the brain. In contrast, anti-physicalists argue that certain aspects of consciousness elude physical explanation, such as qualia, which cannot be fully captured by purely physical accounts.