Skip to content
Carmelics
Topics
Thinkers
Changes
Contributors
Loading account…
Statements
321,452
Perspectives
108,905
Topics
42
Home
/
Original
/
inverse
See Original
Inverse View
It is not the case that One cannot infer the absence of representations encoding a given content from a lack of personal-level awareness of that content.
?
Set your confidence on the premises below to see your aggregate.
Reasons For
2 perspectives
Reason for 1 of 2
?
1.
Parsimony demands we not posit subpersonal representations unless they are necessary to explain behavior, as Occam's razor constrains cognitive ontology.
?
How convincing is this?
Think about whether this reason is strong or weak
2.
When behavioral evidence can be fully explained without positing hidden representations, their postulation becomes empirically idle and philosophically unjustified.
?
How convincing is this?
Think about whether this reason is strong or weak
3.
A methodological principle that blocks inference from absence of awareness to absence of representation renders representational posits unfalsifiable, violating scientific norms.
?
How convincing is this?
Think about whether this reason is strong or weak
Reason for 2 of 2
?
1.
Dennett's heterophenomenological method holds that personal-level reports are the primary evidence base for attributing intentional content to cognitive systems.
?
How convincing is this?
Think about whether this reason is strong or weak
2.
If absence of personal-level awareness cannot constrain claims about representational content, the theoretical concept of 'representation' loses its explanatory anchoring in observable evidence.
?
How convincing is this?
Think about whether this reason is strong or weak
Reasons Against
1 perspective
Reason against
?
1.
The assumption that the processes supporting personal-level awareness are linear is false.
?
How convincing is this?
Think about whether this reason is strong or weak
2.
The inference from lack of personal-level awareness to absence of representations encoding that content depends on the linearity assumption.
?
How convincing is this?
Think about whether this reason is strong or weak
Next step
Based on where you are in your exploration
Strongest counterpoint
Explore the most compelling reason on the other side.