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Subjective experience


In philosophy and certain models of psychology, qualia (/ˈkwɑːliə/ or /ˈkwliə/; singular form: quale) are individual instances of subjective, conscious experience. The term qualia derives from the Latin neuter plural form (qualia) of the Latin adjective (Latin pronunciation: [ˈkʷaːlɪs]) meaning "of what sort" or "of what kind" in a specific instance like 'what is it like to taste a specific orange, this particular orange now". Examples of qualia include the pain of a headache, the taste of wine, and the perceived redness of an evening sky. As qualitative characters of sensation, qualia stand in contrast to "propositional attitudes".

Philosopher and cognitive scientist Daniel Dennett once thought on his own initiative that qualia was "an unfamiliar term for something that could not be more familiar to each of us: the ways things seem to us".

Much of the debate over their importance hinges on the definition of the term, and various philosophers emphasize or deny the existence of certain features of qualia. As such, the nature and existence of various definitions of qualia remain controversial in light of the fact that the existence of qualia has never been independently and scientifically proven as fact.


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