The Elements of Phenomenal Consciousness : Qualia and Metaphysics

Conscious experiences are usually multi-faceted and made up of different elements. These elements are called qualia, the various ways that colours, sounds, and pains, for example, feel to us - the way they appear to be. In this book I defend three common sense views about the nature of these qualities: first, that there really are such qualities and that they have features significantly unlike anything else; second, that such qualities cannot be completely explained in physical or functional terms; and third, that they are qualities which have causal effects on our behaviour and the world. My aim is to show how these claims can be made consistent while avoiding many of the problems that theories which involve such claims commonly face. The writing is at quite an advanced level and is aimed at academics, postgraduates, and those in the later stages of an undergraduate degree studying philosophy of mind, consciousness, or philosophical psychology.