Marythese

Marythese refers to a hypothetical situation often discussed in ethics and philosophy. It centers on the idea of a person named Mary who has lived her entire life in a black and white room. Despite this confinement, Mary is a brilliant neuroscientist who has learned everything there is to know about the physical properties of color. She understands the wavelengths of light, the chemical reactions in the eyes and brain, and all other scientifically measurable aspects of color perception.

The philosophical puzzle arises when Mary is released from the room and sees color for the first time. The question is: does Mary learn anything new? If she has already learned all the physical facts about color, then seeing color for the first time might seem redundant from a purely physicalist standpoint. However, many argue that experiencing color provides Mary with a new kind of knowledge – phenomenal knowledge or qualia – which cannot be captured by physical descriptions alone. This thought experiment is used to explore the nature of consciousness and the relationship between physical facts and subjective experience. It is often cited in debates about physicalism, functionalism, and the mind-body problem.