Explaining qualia—the subjective contents of conscious experience—within a naturalistic framework is challenging. Examining Behaviorism, Identity Theory, Functionalism, and Integrated Information Theory reveals each fails to adequately account for qualia. To overcome this, the senses should be interpreted as physical detectors. A new theory, Grounded Functionalism, is proposed that preserves multiple realizability while providing a scientifically grounded approach to explaining qualia in the natural world.
Some philosophical theories claim that zombies—beings identical to humans in every physical respect but lacking conscious experience—are possible, arguing that qualia (the subjective qualities of experience) are nonphysical properties. This article argues instead that qualia are physical properties. It demonstrates how, through a posteriori identification of qualia with physical properties, a reasoned choice can be made between competing theories, ultimately favoring materialism and rejecting the possibility of zombies.