sensation as the event that has both a physical and mental dimension / description
are all sensations brain processes?
if we take the view that all sensations have an internal and external expression or
manifestation
then the question becomes what counts as a surface description of a sensation?
if you hold that the brain is the central registry of all physical (surface affects) then as
a mater of definition or logic any affect conscious or not will be describable as a brain
event or process
as I understand it in Descartes' time the human heart had something like this central
role in scientific explanation
so yes a sensation will manifest itself physically - just how that physical manifestation
is described will depend on the state of science - i.e. in seventeenth century science
you get a different account to that of the twentieth century scientific view
the real question in twentieth century philosophy of mind is - is sensation just a brain
process?
my argument is that consciousness is the internal dimension of the human being (and
other conscious entities)
the point being that consciousness is not on the surface of things - it is not a public
observable phenomenon
and that a brain process is a surface event of conscious entities
can we associate a brain process - a surface event with a non-surface - internal event?
are we justified in thinking that a brain process is an expression of a conscious event -
a physical surface manifestation?
a pin prick to the hand - the sensation of pain
a picture of brain activity at the time - let us say a region lights up - that doesn't when
there is no sensation of pain
can we say that the brain activity picture is the sensation?
we can say that the brain activity picture is an expression of the event of the sensation
assuming we are dealing here with a strictly veridical circumstance
and it is not likely to be the only physical expression - in fact most likely the least
noticeable
the brain process in this case is really an indicator of sensation - it points to the fact
and to the awareness - what do we make of this?
is the awareness (in this case of pain) the sensation proper?
at one time I would have said yes
however I am inclined now to give awareness - a similar analysis as that just given of
brain process -
yes awareness is awareness with everything that it involves - but here too it is an
indicator of the event - of the event of the sensation
an internal indicator
it is the way the event manifests internally
just as a physical / surface expression (i.e. brain process) is a way the event manifests
externally
as to the event - the event of the sensation
outside of its internal and external manifestations / description - it is without
characterization
in itself it is without character
its character is its affect
