Psience Quest

Full Version: Donald Hoffman: In layman's language
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I like and respect Donald Hoffmann but I sometimes have difficulty following his language because I'm not familiar with the scientific terms. Quite often he can be found in videos debating with other consciousness theorists like Daniel Dennett and the debate becomes heavily laden with such terminology. So here's a short video outline of his ideas in layman's language which even I am able to follow.

I was just watching a longer interview which the above video is a clip of.




These are some notes I wrote down summarizing some of things he says:


There is an objective reality, but our sense perception (space and time, physical objects) is not a truthful representation of that reality. Our perception of reality is more like seeing like icons on your desktop, in relation to the actual files.


We can demonstrate that the probability that our language is the right language to describe reality is 0.

No one has ever proposed a scientific theory that says X neural activity produces Y type of qualia/subjective experience.

Has worked out a mathematic model of how consciousness is fundamental.

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I also liked this presentation:


Here's an article of his in Frontiers of Psychology:
Objects of consciousness
Mini-debate/discussion between Hoffman, Chalmers and Dennett at 1h55:
Daniel Hoffman has a talk with his parents. (They're pretty smart and articulate - more than mine!) The topic is science (more specifically evolution) and religion/spirituality.