We’re going to play a thought experiment game based on a classic philosophy puzzle called Mary’s Room. Here’s how it works:
Imagine Mary lives in a completely black-and-white room.
She only has access to black-and-white books and screens.
All her knowledge about colour comes from reading and studying through black-and-white images.
She knows everything there is to know about the science of colour vision — in physics, biology, and beyond.
One day, her screen breaks and suddenly shows the colour red.
For the first time, Mary actually sees colour.
Now for the big question:
Does Mary learn anything new when she sees red, even though she already knows all the scientific facts about colour?
This puzzle is about a philosophical idea called qualia — the personal, first-hand experience of something, like how you see red or feel pain.
Let’s talk about what that might mean!
Contributor(s)
- learningnow
Thought Experiment