Oh indeed. I was just trying to bring out different usages of 'like', one as a way to compare, and one to indicate phenomenality. — bert1

I do not know what it is like to be me. I am not sure that is a meaningful concept.

I do not know what it is like to be me. I am not sure that is a meaningful concept. — Jackson

Do you have the experience of location, of darkness and light; the experience of objects, of sensations (pain, hunger, desire, boredom), of thoughts and of emotions (and so on)?

Considered collectively, this is what it's like to be you. That's how the phrase 'what it is like to be me' is or can be used.

You can choose not to use the phrase. But you need to justify this choice.

It's not convincing to say you don't understand the phrase. But you can choose, and justify your choice, not to use it.

Do you have the experience of location, of darkness and light; the experience of objects, of sensations (pain, hunger, desire, boredom), of thoughts and of emotions (and so on)? — ZzzoneiroCosm

I have sensations, yes.

It's not convincing to say you don't understand the phrase. — ZzzoneiroCosm

Never said I did not understand the phrase. I said it is incoherent and nearly meaningless.

Never said I did not understand the phrase. I said it is incoherent and nearly meaningless. — Jackson

If you understand it, then you can use it. That's all you need.

Understanding and use.

If you understand it, then you can use it. That's all you need.

Understanding and use. — ZzzoneiroCosm

uh huh

I said it is incoherent and nearly meaningless. — Jackson

What - precisely - do you find incoherent about this?

Do you have the experience of location, of darkness and light; the experience of objects, of sensations (pain, hunger, desire, boredom), of thoughts and of emotions (and so on)?

Considered collectively, this is what it's like to be you. That's how the phrase 'what it is like to be me' is or can be used. — ZzzoneiroCosm

Is it correct to say that X is incoherent but I understand X.

Is it correct to say that X is incoherent but I understand X. — ZzzoneiroCosm

Yes.

Is it not only the coherent that can be understood?

Is it not only the coherent that can be understood? — ZzzoneiroCosm

No.

That's a fundamental disagreement and our dialogic terminus.

I'm not overly interested in this subject but thought it might be fun to hear from the town square:


https://thephilosophyforum.com/discussion/13041/if-i-say-i-understand-x-can-i-at-the-same-time-say-x-is-incoherent

I do not know what it is like to be me. I am not sure that is a meaningful concept. — Jackson

Sounds like something a p-zombie would say. Are you a p-zombie? What form does your information about the world take? For instance, how do you know that you're reading this post right now? What is it that you can point to to say, "I am reading a post in the English language on my computer screen."?

Are you a p-zombie? — Harry Hindu

Yes.

Yes. — Jackson

How do you know? :smile:

What is it that you can point to to say, "I am reading a post in the English language on my computer screen."? — Harry Hindu

I read and responded. Proof.

I read and responded. Proof. — Jackson

Proof of what?

Proof of what? — ZzzoneiroCosm

Proof of what we were talking about.

Proof that you're a p-zombie or proof that you know? You're being evasive.

Proof that you're a p-zombie or proof that you know? You're being evasive. — ZzzoneiroCosm

No. I was asked a question and answered. And cut the ad hominem stuff.

Proof that you're a p-zombie or proof that you know?

Yes. — Jackson

I was confused.

My question:

You say you're a p-zombie. How do you know you're a p-zombie?

Proof that you're a p-zombie or proof that you know? — ZzzoneiroCosm

I said nothing about knowledge.

So you don't know you're a p-zombie?

So you don't know you're a p-zombie? — ZzzoneiroCosm

I do not need to care about the question.

That's true of any question.

If you don't know you're a p-zombie you have no justification for saying you're a p-zombie.

I don't think a p-zombie would claim to be one. She doesn't understand what her deficiency is.

What is it that you can point to to say, "I am reading a post in the English language on my computer screen."?
— Harry Hindu

I read and responded. Proof. — Jackson

Your response is not you reading the post. That comes after reading the post. How do you know that you responded to my post?

Before responding, what is it like reading my post? What form does the information, "I am reading Harry Hindu's post" take for you? How do you know who's post is whose after you've written and posted your posts? What form does the information in your memory of you having written a post take? What is it like for you to remember something? What are you comparing to say that you remember writing your post if not a visual of your post and the visual memory of writing it?

I don't think a p-zombie would claim to be one. She doesn't understand what her deficiency is. — Tate

A blind-sight person seems to understand what their deficiency is. They seem to be unsure about what it is that they are experiencing visually. They seem to respond to things that do not appear in their visual field without knowing what it is they are responding to. People with blind-sight don't behave like normal humans. Neither would a p-zombie.

Before responding, what is it like reading my post? — Harry Hindu

I do not see how that is a meaningful concept.