Qualia
Qualia are the subjective, first-person experiences of consciousness—what it feels like to see red, hear music, or taste chocolate. They are often cited in philosophy of mind debates, especially concerning the limits of physicalist or computational models of consciousness.
Qualia highlight the difference between knowing about a mental state and experiencing it. For example, someone may understand all the brain mechanisms involved in seeing color but still not know what it’s like to experience red without actually seeing it.
Philosophers like Thomas Nagel and Frank Jackson use qualia to argue against reductive physicalism, suggesting that conscious experience has aspects beyond objective analysis. This leads to the “hard problem” of consciousness: how and why physical processes in the brain give rise to subjective experience.
Qualia remain one of the most puzzling aspects of consciousness and are central to discussions about the nature of mind, perception, and personal identity.