Problem of Other Minds
Updated 2026-08-01
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
A classic problem in the philosophy of mind, posed in its modern form by John Stuart Mill: we can observe behaviour but never another being's subjective experience, so the basis for attributing minds to others is unclear. The standard answer is inference by analogy, reasoning that others resemble us and therefore probably feel as we do. The qualifier is that this is inductive rather than deductive, which leaves sceptical scenarios such as philosophical zombies formally open.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Humility cue: remember that another person's inner state is never directly visible to you. - Inference check: read behaviour as evidence for experience rather than as proof. - Design restraint: do not project your own preferences onto users or colleagues.
Anchor fast decisions
Only one case of mind is directly available, namely one's own, so the inference to other minds runs from a single instance to all similar bodies. Analogy is a weak inductive base, which is why the conclusion stays probable rather than certain and why the same evidence cannot rule out a being that behaves normally while experiencing nothing.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BB%96%E5%BF%83%E5%95%8F%E9%A1%8Cverified
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