Sky4

What happens to commerce when people can be convinced to buy anything? Do we instead have AI that can't be persuaded that trades for us? Or would be post-scsrcity by that point? Great write up!

Yes please feel free to!

One strange/funny thing that I would also add is that I think there could be a genetic component, not 100% certain, BUT I am from Yorkshire, and one of the leading proponents of illusionism who also doesn't believe in qualia is Keith Frankish is from Yorkshire too! As I understand it your Mum was also from Yorkshire? Maybe we lack the qualia gene! (I'm not certain I actually believe this I just found it a funny coincidence).

If I was a Boltzmann brain then I could, like a video game examine some element of the world and it'd turn up random right? Whereas in actuality it's super ordered (in most cases) so I have strong reasons to believe I'm not a Bb, I think if careful measurement of fresh, unexplored places started coming back statistically random like the fluctuation idea describes, I'd change my mind. It doesn't, so I don't believe it. it's a fun thought experiment though.

I am in total agreement with you in this thread (I saw you link it on X), every instance of trying to get anyone to explain qualia, I feel either too stupid, or it just seems like total word salad to me too. I think Dennett is broadly correct!