Compositions, Dispositions and Qualia Anand Rangarajan Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering University of Florida Anand Rangarajan Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering University of Florida

Hard Problem of Consciousness  Inadequacy of present day science to deal with consciousness  Varieties of materialism unsatisfactory  Recent challenge from analytic philosophy –Consciousness not logically supervenient on the physical (David Chalmers)  Varieties of idealism, panpsychism, dualism now back on the table  Inadequacy of present day science to deal with consciousness  Varieties of materialism unsatisfactory  Recent challenge from analytic philosophy –Consciousness not logically supervenient on the physical (David Chalmers)  Varieties of idealism, panpsychism, dualism now back on the table

QualiaQualia  Intentionality (aboutness) and qualia - two difficult consciousness-related problems  Set intentionality aside  Qualia –First person experience –Hidden –Sensations, perceptions, emotions and thoughts  Intentionality (aboutness) and qualia - two difficult consciousness-related problems  Set intentionality aside  Qualia –First person experience –Hidden –Sensations, perceptions, emotions and thoughts

Two conceptions of the physical  Just what is meant by the term “physical”?  Dispositions –Resistance, surface properties, extrinsic  Dispositions contrasted with the categorical  All of present day physics a theory of dispositions?  Categorical –Intrinsic nature of the physical (Russel, Stoljar) –Space, time –Particle, field  Just what is meant by the term “physical”?  Dispositions –Resistance, surface properties, extrinsic  Dispositions contrasted with the categorical  All of present day physics a theory of dispositions?  Categorical –Intrinsic nature of the physical (Russel, Stoljar) –Space, time –Particle, field

Intrinsic nature of the physical  Leverage the categorical/dispositional distinction  Categorical as “hidden taxonomy of nature”?  No connection to consciousness at this point  Physics still based on dispositions but tries to infer categorical from dispositional theory?  Leverage the categorical/dispositional distinction  Categorical as “hidden taxonomy of nature”?  No connection to consciousness at this point  Physics still based on dispositions but tries to infer categorical from dispositional theory?

Qualia and Science  Very difficult to reconcile science and qualia  Other than materialism and radical emergence (dualism,), all theories face panpsychism problem  Qualia basic?  Qualia supervenient on the categorical?  Very difficult to reconcile science and qualia  Other than materialism and radical emergence (dualism,), all theories face panpsychism problem  Qualia basic?  Qualia supervenient on the categorical?

Qualia and the Categorical  Categorical nature of the physical paints an intrinsic picture  Qualia lights up the interior  Interior and Intrinsic connection?  Simple picture: –Nature has an intrinsic categorical structure –Qualia are logically supervenient on categorical (Stoljar)  Categorical nature of the physical paints an intrinsic picture  Qualia lights up the interior  Interior and Intrinsic connection?  Simple picture: –Nature has an intrinsic categorical structure –Qualia are logically supervenient on categorical (Stoljar)

The Specter of Panpsychism  Categorical structure not yet fleshed out  Supervenience relationship between qualia and categorical unknown  Categorical structure may allow “low-level” qualia  Categorical structure not yet fleshed out  Supervenience relationship between qualia and categorical unknown  Categorical structure may allow “low-level” qualia

CompositionsCompositions  Panpsychism takes qualia all the way down  Compositions - fleshing out the categorical to avoid “naïve panpsychism”  Panpsychism takes qualia all the way down  Compositions - fleshing out the categorical to avoid “naïve panpsychism”

Nested Compositions  Simpler compositions necessary but not sufficient for more complex compositions  Spacetime issues set aside  Silent on potential versus actual compositions for the moment  Compositional physics to replace dispositional physics  Simpler compositions necessary but not sufficient for more complex compositions  Spacetime issues set aside  Silent on potential versus actual compositions for the moment  Compositional physics to replace dispositional physics

Compositions as basic  Paradoxical quality  Qualia (and dispositions) correlate with compositions  Emergence of context and perspective  Paradoxical quality  Qualia (and dispositions) correlate with compositions  Emergence of context and perspective

DiscussionDiscussion  Compositions are the structural-categorical counterpart of qualia –Prehension, sensation, perception, emotion, cognition, intuition, visualization, illumination, pure consciousness event (PCE) all may have categorical counterparts –Dispositions follow suit  Compositions are the structural-categorical counterpart of qualia –Prehension, sensation, perception, emotion, cognition, intuition, visualization, illumination, pure consciousness event (PCE) all may have categorical counterparts –Dispositions follow suit

ConclusionConclusion  Most varieties of materialism, idealism, dualism, panpsychim, dual-aspect theories sidestepped  Remains to be seen if compositional physics can be mathematically formulated  Most varieties of materialism, idealism, dualism, panpsychim, dual-aspect theories sidestepped  Remains to be seen if compositional physics can be mathematically formulated