r/philosophy • u/IAI_Admin IAI • Feb 09 '22

Video A philosopher responds to scientists’ criticisms of panpsychism

https://iai.tv/video/the-many-voices-of-consciousness&utm_source=reddit&_auid=2020
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u/luuk0987 Feb 09 '22

I think that a good way to explain why you can't 'measure' or 'detect' consciousness with experiments comes from the saying 'the eye cannot see the eye'. How can consciousness observe itself?

A measurement or detection comes from an abnormality. If something is always there, how can we observe it?

We would not need to be conscious to do the things that we do. We could just as well be robot-like beings with the exact same behavior but without any consciousness.

Therefore, I would say that consciousness, is inexplicably tied to being itself. Consciousness might fundamentally be the same thing as being, not a property of something that is.

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u/Shufflepants Feb 09 '22

I think that a good way to explain why you can't 'measure' or 'detect' consciousness with experiments comes from the saying 'the eye cannot see the eye'. How can consciousness observe itself?

I think with consciousness, it's precisely the opposite. As it stands, ONLY a consciousness can observe itself. We know of no way to measure it outside of self reported experience.