Response to Topic Two
Are physical facts, the only knowable facts? Physicalist believe that all aspects of the world including human nature, can be explained by physical means, physical objects, or physical properties. [According to Lousie Antony, physicalism is , “ the doctrine that all concrete objects and phenomena lie within the domain of physics”.] In terms of consciousness, physicalist believes that mental processes humans experience as consciousness can be fully describes via physical processes in the brain and body. However, according to Frank Jackson, physical facts are not the only knowable facts. To contest this idea Jackson develops the knowledge argument which is a persuasive argument that demonstrates that there are also facts that are nonphysical that exist.
The knowledge argument is a thought experiment that is intended to demonstrate that in addition to physical facts there are other types of facts. Jackson arguments proposes that there is a women named Mary inside a black and white room who comes to learn all of the physical facts about the world. She is taught through a black a white books and lectures …show more content…
However, she still gains something more which are facts about the experience of seeing red. Jackson proposes another philosophical thought experiment where he supposes that after Mary is released, she begins to question if her experience of seeing red is the same as other’s experience. In this way Mary is not wondering about her abilities to imagine or recognize red, instead Mary is wondering if what she believes she knows regarding others experience of the color red is actually true. Therefore, Mary does gain more than abilities, she gains knowledge of what the experiences of others are like, which is a knowledgeable fact and something she did not have knowledge of while inside the black and white
Are physical facts, the only knowable facts? Physicalist believe that all aspects of the world including human nature, can be explained by physical means, physical objects, or physical properties. [According to Lousie Antony, physicalism is , “ the doctrine that all concrete objects and phenomena lie within the domain of physics”.] In terms of consciousness, physicalist believes that mental processes humans experience as consciousness can be fully describes via physical processes in the brain and body. However, according to Frank Jackson, physical facts are not the only knowable facts. To contest this idea Jackson develops the knowledge argument which is a persuasive argument that demonstrates that there are also facts that are nonphysical that exist.
The knowledge argument is a thought experiment that is intended to demonstrate that in addition to physical facts there are other types of facts. Jackson arguments proposes that there is a women named Mary inside a black and white room who comes to learn all of the physical facts about the world. She is taught through a black a white books and lectures …show more content…
However, she still gains something more which are facts about the experience of seeing red. Jackson proposes another philosophical thought experiment where he supposes that after Mary is released, she begins to question if her experience of seeing red is the same as other’s experience. In this way Mary is not wondering about her abilities to imagine or recognize red, instead Mary is wondering if what she believes she knows regarding others experience of the color red is actually true. Therefore, Mary does gain more than abilities, she gains knowledge of what the experiences of others are like, which is a knowledgeable fact and something she did not have knowledge of while inside the black and white