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Thoughts on Thought

Mary Leaves Her Room

Nigel Hems asks, does Mary see colours differently outside her room?

The ‘Mary’s Room’ thought experiment devised by Frank Jackson goes something like this. Mary is raised from birth in a black and white room, never seeing anything of any other colour. Coloured objects are all carefully excluded. She always wears white gloves and there are no mirrors. Mary is given a normal education as far as is possible in the circumstances.

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