For many years, one of the main topics of concern to many researchers has been the existence of a connection between body and soul. Previously, there was an opinion that the main aspect of perception was materialism, which stipulated that everything in the world has a physical explanation and justification. However, Frank Jackson presented the opposite longing of view, which proved the need for emotional experience in perception. Thus, this essay examines The Knowledge Argument formed from Jackson’s research and its importance for philosophy.
Frank Jackson presented an unusual study, the main purpose of which was to refute the opinion that everything that exists in the world is purely physical. Thus, the basis of his research was the provision of an imaginary subject Mary, a girl who grew up in unusual conditions for the modern world, where everything was black and white, and she received experience regarding emotional sensations only in theory. This education has affected the appearance of the opinion that a person’s emotional state is in no way connected with the physical and cannot influence it. However, when confronted with real colors, she gets qualia, the ‘feely’ aspects of experience. At the same time, the materialists who dominated at that time proclaimed that everything depends on the functioning of the brain and can be conditioned by neuropsychology. Thus, Frank Jackson’s research makes a valuable contribution to the awareness of the important role of the emotional component in the perception of the world.
The work carried out by Frank Jackson became one of the main confrontations of materialists which presented an alternative opinion regarding the interaction of the body and mind. Thus, it “is a comprehensive view about the nature of the world to the effect that every phenomenon whatever is, or is at bottom, physical” (Melnyk para. 1). Hence, this aspect is dominant in this philosophy; however, it raises the question of the attitude to the emotional and mental. In particular, consciousness plays an important role in this complex process (TED). Thus, materialism does not deny the existence of something that may initially seem not physical; however, upon careful consideration, it is still physical or has attributes to it.
Further, the study of the experience of the fictional woman Marie was the impetus for the formation of the phenomenon of The Knowledge Argument. Thus, it implies that qualia cannot be explained by physical components and is the mind’s ability. Moreover, people’s consciousness implies the use of non-physical properties. Furthermore, using Marie’s example, the girl knows about many things, including how a tomato looks and that it is red; however, she does not have any sensory, visual, or taste experiences regarding this vegetable. That is, her entire experience is based on a materialistic view of the world. When she sees a tomato for the first time, she completely fills in the physical and emotional perception of things. Concerning everyday life, it can be seen in the contrast between what people study about animals and what they feel when they see them and feel them. It is on this process that The Knowledge Argument is based, which has an important contribution to the further study of the interaction of mind and body.
In conclusion, this work examined the interaction between the body and mind, which was revealed by the Frank Jackson study. In contrast to the dominant views of materialism, it argued that for a full perception of the world and things, a person uses both physical and emotional experience. Later, these conclusions developed into the Knowledge Argument, a phenomenon that contributed to the development of philosophical thought regarding the connection between body and mind. The main limitation of the assessment was an excessive amount of information about the phenomenon under study, which caused the finding of non-useful data.
Works Cited
“How do you explain consciousness?” YouTube, uploaded by TED, 2015, Web.
Melnyk, Andrew. “Physicalism.” Oxford Bibliography, 2019, Web.