Editing Consciousness (section)

=== Qualia ===
{{Main|Qualia}}

The term "qualia" was introduced in philosophical literature by [[C. I. Lewis]]. The word is derived from Latin and means "of what sort". It is basically a quantity or property of something as perceived or experienced by an individual, like the scent of rose, the taste of wine, or the pain of a headache. They are difficult to articulate or describe. The philosopher and scientist [[Daniel Dennett]] describes them as "the way things seem to us", while philosopher and cognitive scientist [[David Chalmers]] expanded on qualia as the "[[hard problem of consciousness]]" in the 1990s. When qualia is experienced, activity is simulated in the brain, and these processes are called [[neural correlates of consciousness]] (NCCs). Many scientific studies have been done to attempt to link particular brain regions with emotions or experiences.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=Parsons |first1=Paul |title=50 Ideas You Really Need to Know: Science |last2=Dixon |first2=Gail |publisher=[[Quercus]] |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-78429-614-8 |location=London |pages=141–143 |language=en}}</ref><ref>Oxford English Dictionary, "qualia", 3rd ed., Oxford University Press, 2010. Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.oed.com/search/dictionary/?scope=Entries&q=qualia.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Qualia {{!}} Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy |url=https://iep.utm.edu/qualia/#:~:text=The%20term%20%E2%80%9Cqualia%E2%80%9D%20(singular,properties%20of%20sense%2Ddata%20themselves. |access-date=4 October 2024 |website=Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy}}</ref>

Species which experience qualia are said to have [[sentience]], which is central to the [[animal rights movement]], because it includes the ability to experience pain and suffering.<ref name=":0" />