-
Austen Clark.
A Physicalist Theory of Qualia.
The Monist,
68(4):491-506,
1985.
Keywords: philosophy,
qualia,
topology,
physicalism.
| Abstract: Although the capacity to discriminate between different qualia is typically admitted to have a definition in terms of functional role, the qualia thereby related are thought to elude functional definition. In this paper I argue that these views are inconsistent. Given a functional model of discrimination, one can construct from it a definition of qualia. The problem is similar in many ways to Goodman's definition of qualia in terms of 'matching', and I argue that many of his findings survive reinterpretation into a physicalistic basis which employs 'indiscriminability' as its primitive term. I show how one can identify the critical properties to which discrimination capacities are sensitive, and then identify their order. A problem arises concerning the different ways in which qualitatively distinct experiences can differ (hue, shape, and so on). Physicalist accounts have often been accused of relying in a circular fashion on some antecedent understanding of phenomenal properties in order to specify those differences. This account avoids such an accusation: ordering of critical properties is determined by the dimensionality of discriminations, and the latter is given by the structure of the discrimination pair lists. Once a topology of quality is constructed, qualia names can be defined by their relative location within the order. In the conclusion I argue that psychophysics employs physicalist techniques to define a topology of quality, and that it can provide what Thomas Nagel calls an "objective phenomenology." |
| Comments: Tentative de construction des qualia a partir de la discriminabilité des qalia. Une remarque très intéressante sur la non-transitivité de la non-discriminabilité, et de la conséquence sur la relation non-univoque codage/qualia, et une idée pour le passage au stochastique: le déterminisme des paramètres du modèle stochastique. Construction d'une topologie à partir de la non-transitivité. |
@Article{clar_85,
author = {Clark, Austen},
title = {A Physicalist Theory of Qualia},
journal = {The Monist},
year = {1985},
volume = {68},
number = {4},
pages = {491-506},
url = {http://www.ucc.uconn.edu/~wwwphil/physqual.html},
abstract = {Although the capacity to discriminate between different qualia is typically admitted to have a definition in terms of functional role, the qualia thereby related are thought to elude functional definition. In this paper I argue that these views are inconsistent. Given a functional model of discrimination, one can construct from it a definition of qualia. The problem is similar in many ways to Goodman's definition of qualia in terms of 'matching', and I argue that many of his findings survive reinterpretation into a physicalistic basis which employs 'indiscriminability' as its primitive term. I show how one can identify the critical properties to which discrimination capacities are sensitive, and then identify their order. A problem arises concerning the different ways in which qualitatively distinct experiences can differ (hue, shape, and so on). Physicalist accounts have often been accused of relying in a circular fashion on some antecedent understanding of phenomenal properties in order to specify those differences. This account avoids such an accusation: ordering of critical properties is determined by the dimensionality of discriminations, and the latter is given by the structure of the discrimination pair lists. Once a topology of quality is constructed, qualia names can be defined by their relative location within the order. In the conclusion I argue that psychophysics employs physicalist techniques to define a topology of quality, and that it can provide what Thomas Nagel calls an "objective phenomenology."},
comments = {Tentative de construction des qualia a partir de la discriminabilité des qalia. Une remarque très intéressante sur la non-transitivité de la non-discriminabilité, et de la conséquence sur la relation non-univoque codage/qualia, et une idée pour le passage au stochastique: le déterminisme des paramètres du modèle stochastique. Construction d'une topologie à partir de la non-transitivité.},
keywords = {philosophy, qualia, topology, physicalism},
rating = {C}
}
-
Austen Clark.
Spectrum Inversion and the Color Solid.
Southern Journal of Philosophy,
23(4):431-443,
1985.
Keywords: philosophy,
color,
inverted spectrum,
qualia.
| Abstract: The possibility that what looks red to me may look green to you has traditionally been known as "spectrum inversion." This possibility is thought to create difficulties for any attempt to define mental states in terms of behavioral dispositions or functional roles. If spectrum inversion is possible, then it seems that two perceptual states may have identical functional antecedents and effects yet differ in their qualitative content. In that case the qualitative character of the states could not be functionally defined. |
@Article{clar_85b,
author = {Clark, Austen},
title = {Spectrum Inversion and the Color Solid},
journal = {Southern Journal of Philosophy},
year = {1985},
volume = {23},
number = {4},
pages = {431-443},
url = {http://137.99.26.4/~wwwphil/csolid.html},
abstract = {The possibility that what looks red to me may look green to you has traditionally been known as "spectrum inversion." This possibility is thought to create difficulties for any attempt to define mental states in terms of behavioral dispositions or functional roles. If spectrum inversion is possible, then it seems that two perceptual states may have identical functional antecedents and effects yet differ in their qualitative content. In that case the qualitative character of the states could not be functionally defined. },
keywords = {philosophy, color, inverted spectrum, qualia},
rating = {C}
}
-
Laurence T. Maloney and Brian A. Wandell.
Color constancy: a method for recovering surface spectral reflectance.
Optical Society of America,
1985.
Keywords: color constancy,
vision.
| Abstract: Human and machine visual sensing is enhanced when surface properties of objects in scenes, including color, can be reliably estimated despite changes in the ambient lighting conditions. We describe a computational method for estimating surface spectral reflectance when the spectral power distribution of the ambient light is not known. |
@ARTICLE{malo_wand_85,
AUTHOR = {Maloney, Laurence T. and Wandell, Brian A.},
TITLE = {Color constancy: a method for recovering surface spectral reflectance},
JOURNAL = {Optical Society of America},
YEAR = {1985},
Abstract = {Human and machine visual sensing is enhanced when surface properties of objects in scenes, including color, can be reliably estimated despite changes in the ambient lighting conditions. We describe a computational method for estimating surface spectral reflectance when the spectral power distribution of the ambient light is not known.},
url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3950789&dopt=Abstract},
keywords = {color constancy, vision},
rating = {B}
}
-
A. Pellionisz and R. Llinas.
Tensor network theory of the metaorganization of functional geometries in the central nervous system.
Neuroscience,
16(2):245-273,
1985.
Keywords: neuroscience.
| Abstract: Here we present an elaboration and a quantitative example for a hypothetical neuronal process, implementing what we refer to as the metaorganization principle. This process allows the internalization of external (body) geometries into the central nervous system (CNS) and a reciprocal and equally important action of the CNS geometry on the external (body) geometry. The hypothesis is based on the destination, within the CNS, between covariant sensory and contravariant motor vectorial expressions of the extrinsic geometry. These sensory and motor expressions, given in natural co-ordinate systems, are transformed from one to the other by a neuronal network, which acts as a metric tensor. The metric tensor determines the relationship of these two expressions and thus comprises the functional geometry of the system. The emergence through metaorganization of networks that implement such metric function is viewed as the result of interactions between the covariant motor execution which generates a physical action on the external world (via the musculoskeletal system) and the covariant sensory proprioception which measures the effect of such motor output. In this transformation of contravariants to covariants by the physical geometry of the motor system, a covariant metric tensor is expressed implicitly. However, co-ordinated motor action requires its dual tensor (the contravariant metric), which is assembled in the CNS based on the metaorganization principle, i.e. the ability of CNS and external geometries to mold one another. The two metric transformations acting on each other detect error signals whenever the match of the physical and functional geometries is imperfect. Such error signals are utilized by the metaorganization process to improve the match between the two metrics, so that with use the internal representation becomes increasingly homeometric with the geometry of the external world. |
@Article{pell_llin_85,
author = {Pellionisz, A. and Llinas, R.},
title = {Tensor network theory of the metaorganization of functional geometries in the central nervous system},
journal = {Neuroscience},
year = {1985},
volume = {16},
number = {2},
pages = {245-273},
url = {http://usa-siliconvalley.com/inst/pellionisz/85_metaorganization/85_metaorganization.html},
rating = {D},
comments = {mystique},
keywords = {neuroscience},
abstract = {Here we present an elaboration and a quantitative example for a hypothetical neuronal process, implementing what we refer to as the metaorganization principle. This process allows the internalization of external (body) geometries into the central nervous system (CNS) and a reciprocal and equally important action of the CNS geometry on the external (body) geometry. The hypothesis is based on the destination, within the CNS, between covariant sensory and contravariant motor vectorial expressions of the extrinsic geometry. These sensory and motor expressions, given in natural co-ordinate systems, are transformed from one to the other by a neuronal network, which acts as a metric tensor. The metric tensor determines the relationship of these two expressions and thus comprises the functional geometry of the system. The emergence through metaorganization of networks that implement such metric function is viewed as the result of interactions between the covariant motor execution which generates a physical action on the external world (via the musculoskeletal system) and the covariant sensory proprioception which measures the effect of such motor output. In this transformation of contravariants to covariants by the physical geometry of the motor system, a covariant metric tensor is expressed implicitly. However, co-ordinated motor action requires its dual tensor (the contravariant metric), which is assembled in the CNS based on the metaorganization principle, i.e. the ability of CNS and external geometries to mold one another. The two metric transformations acting on each other detect error signals whenever the match of the physical and functional geometries is imperfect. Such error signals are utilized by the metaorganization process to improve the match between the two metrics, so that with use the internal representation becomes increasingly homeometric with the geometry of the external world.}
}