How would you outline the Knowledge argument?

Jackson's knowledge argument aims to refute Physicalism (the philosophical position that everything which exists is no more extensive than its physical properties, and that the only existing substance is physical). Do do this, he devised the knowledge argument to demonstrate that not everything can be explained using only physical facts, he believed there was something more to experience, namely the existance of 'qualia' (introspectively accessible subjective/phenomenal features of mental states (the properties of ‘what it is like’ to undergo the mental state in question). The argument uses the example of Mary, a brilliant scientist who is in possession of all the physical facts about colour, yet, has had no actual experience of colour as she has spent her life in a black and white room. Jackson argued that when she leaves the room and sees colour for the first time, she will learn something new, what it is like to see colour. The argument can be outlined as follows: 1. Mary does not know all the facts about human colour vision before her release (she does not know the phenomenal facts).  2. Therefore, there are non-physical facts about human colour vision.  3. Non-physical facts are facts about non-physical phenomenal properties. 4.Therefore, there are non-physical properties.

Answered by Jessica C. Philosophy tutor

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