Knowledge Tree
Relations (1)
related 2.58 — strongly supporting 5 facts
The relationship between consciousness and third-person empirical data is defined by the debate over whether subjective experience can be captured by objective measurement, as seen in the distinction between first-person and third-person data [1]. This connection is further explored through the potential for verbal reports to serve as third-person data about consciousness [2], the mechanistic explanation of consciousness via such data [3], and the argument that the boundary between these data types is noncategorical {fact:4, fact:5}.
Facts (5)
Sources
The Problem of Hard and Easy Problems cambridge.org 5 facts
claimThe author argues that the classification of consciousness problems into 'hard' (subjective) and 'easy' (objective) is noncategorical because some first-person data convey information about objective functioning, and some third-person data convey information about subjective experience.
claimIf some third-person data are both about consciousness and mechanistically explainable objective functions, then at least some aspects of consciousness measured by third-person data can be explained mechanistically, regardless of whether first-person data are amenable to mechanistic explanation.
claimIf adequately controlled verbal reports are accepted as legitimate third-person data about consciousness, then some third-person data are both about consciousness and about mechanistically explainable objective functions.
claimMechanistically explainable objective functioning can only explain objective third-person data, whereas consciousness is characterized by subjective first-person data.
claimThe classification of the problem of consciousness as 'easy' or 'hard' depends on the extent to which first-person and third-person data are shown to convey information about one another.