causal

Ability hypothesis fails to capture truth claims

The ability hypothesis (Nemirow/Lewis) says Mary gains only new know-how—abilities to imagine, categorize, and remember red—not new information, which would rescue materialism; but 'what it's like' sentences can be placed into valid truth-preserving deductive syllogisms, showing they are genuine truth claims, and the ability hypothesis, dealing only in abilities, has no account of this.

causalpending

Speaker

Philip Goff

Evidence Quote

that seems to show that these 'what it's like' sentences are truth claims. And the problem with the ability hypothesis, is it doesn't have any account of that.

Source

71 | Philip Goff on Consciousness EverywhereSean Carroll's Mindscape
Created: 6/13/2026, 12:10:44 AM

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