Sensing Qualia: Solving the Hard Problem of Consciousness

Author/Contributor(s):	Skokowski, Paul G
Publisher:	University of Chicago Press
Date:	01/27/2026
Binding:	Paperback
Condition:	NEW

"Accounting for qualia in the natural world has come to be known as the hard problem of consciousness. Qualia are the 'raw feels' of consciousness and make up the contents of our sensory experience. These include colors, tastes, pains, smells, and other sensory phenomena. In Sensing Qualia, philosopher Paul Skokowski helps us understand qualia through sensory naturalism, a theory that recognizes our senses as detectors of physical properties in the world. Drawing on neuroscience, physics, cognitive science, and philosophy, Skokowski provides a materialist framework for studying qualia in the physical world and explores the naturalistic limits for qualia in androids and AI. The first part of Sensing Qualia brings readers up to speed with the problem of qualia by examining some of the most influential theories of mind since Descartes. This accessible overview prepares readers for the arguments surrounding qualia and conscious experience that comprise the rest of the book. As a whole, Sensing Qualia provides a compelling explanation of qualia for anyone who is curious about the nature of conscious experience"--