I deny that a generic outside observer would describe us as having any specific set of preferences, in an objective sense.
It’s possible that we’ve been struggling with this conversation because I’ve been failing to grasp just how radically different your opinions are to mine.
Imagine your generic outside observer was superintelligent, and understood (through pure analysis) qualia and all the corresponding mysteries of the mind. Would you then still say this outside observer would not consider us to have any specific set of preferences, in an objective sense, where “preferences” takes on its colloquial meaning?
If not, why? I think my stance is obvious; where preferences colloquially means approximately “a greater liking for one alternative over another or others”, all I have to claim is that there is an objective sense in which I like things, which is simple because there’s an objective sense in which I have that emotional state and internal stance.
It’s possible that we’ve been struggling with this conversation because I’ve been failing to grasp just how radically different your opinions are to mine.
Imagine your generic outside observer was superintelligent, and understood (through pure analysis) qualia and all the corresponding mysteries of the mind. Would you then still say this outside observer would not consider us to have any specific set of preferences, in an objective sense, where “preferences” takes on its colloquial meaning?
If not, why? I think my stance is obvious; where preferences colloquially means approximately “a greater liking for one alternative over another or others”, all I have to claim is that there is an objective sense in which I like things, which is simple because there’s an objective sense in which I have that emotional state and internal stance.