Consciousness And Physicalism

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Consciousness and Physicalism

Author : Andreas Elpidorou,Guy Dove
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 216 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 2018-04-19
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781317402077

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Consciousness and Physicalism by Andreas Elpidorou,Guy Dove Pdf

Consciousness and Physicalism: A Defense of a Research Program explores the nature of consciousness and its place in the world, offering a revisionist account of what it means to say that consciousness is nothing over and above the physical. By synthesizing work in the philosophy of mind, metaphysics, and philosophy of science from the last twenty years and forging a dialogue with contemporary research in the empirical sciences of the mind, Andreas Elpidorou and Guy Dove advance and defend a novel formulation of physicalism. Although physicalism has been traditionally understood to be a metaphysical thesis, Elpidorou and Dove argue that there is an alternative and indeed preferable understanding of physicalism that both renders physicalism a scientifically informed explanatory project and allows us to make important progress in addressing the ontological problem of consciousness. Physicalism, Elpidorou and Dove hold, is best viewed not as a thesis (metaphysical or otherwise) but as an interdisciplinary research program that aims to compositionally explain all natural phenomena that are central to our understanding of our place in nature. Consciousness and Physicalism is replete with philosophical arguments and informed, through and through, by findings in many areas of scientific research. It advances the debate regarding the ontological status of consciousness. It will interest students and scholars in philosophy of mind, metaphysics, philosophy of cognitive science, and philosophy of science. And it will challenge both foes and friends of physicalism.

Consciousness and the Limits of Objectivity

Author : Robert J. Howell
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 208 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2013-06-14
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780191662652

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Consciousness and the Limits of Objectivity by Robert J. Howell Pdf

In Consciousness and the Limits of Objectivity Robert J. Howell argues that the options in the debates about consciousness and the mind-body problem are more limited than many philosophers have appreciated. Unless one takes a hard-line stance, which either denies the data provided by consciousness or makes a leap of faith about future discoveries, one must admit that no objective picture of our world can be complete. Howell argues, however, that this is consistent with physicalism, contrary to received wisdom. After developing a novel, neo-Cartesian notion of the physical, followed by a careful consideration of the three major anti-materialist arguments—Black's 'Presentation Problem', Jackson's Knowledge Argument, and Chalmers' Conceivability Argument—Howell proposes a 'subjective physicalism' which gives the data of consciousness their due, while retaining the advantages of a monistic, physical ontology.

Consciousness and the Prospects of Physicalism

Author : Derk Pereboom
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 208 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2011-03-22
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780199877324

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Consciousness and the Prospects of Physicalism by Derk Pereboom Pdf

In this book, Derk Pereboom explores how physicalism might best be formulated and defended against the best anti-physicalist arguments. Two responses to the knowledge and conceivability arguments are set out and developed. The first exploits the open possibility that introspective representations fail to represent mental properties as they are in themselves; specifically, that introspection represents phenomenal properties as having certain characteristic qualitative natures, which these properties might actually lack. The second response draws on the proposal that currently unknown fundamental intrinsic properties provide categorical bases for known physical properties and would also yield an account of consciousness. While there are non-physicalist versions of this position, some are amenable to physicalism. The book's third theme is a defense of a nonreductive account of physicalism. The type of nonreductivism endorsed departs from others in that it rejects all token identity claims for psychological and microphysical entities. The deepest relation between the mental and the microphysical is constitution, where this relation is not to be explicated by the notion of identity.

Consciousness and Its Place in Nature

Author : Galen Strawson,Anthony Freeman
Publisher : Andrews UK Limited
Page : 511 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2024-05-07
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781788361231

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Consciousness and Its Place in Nature by Galen Strawson,Anthony Freeman Pdf

Panpsychism is the philosophical view that consciousness, mentality, or 'mindedness' in some form is fundamental in the universe. The idea has existed for centuries, but only recently has it had a serious resurgence. Galen Strawson has been on the front line of the battlefield on the topic of panpsychism since the 1990s. His paper on ‘realistic monism’, contained in this volume and originally published in 2006, is now considered something of a classic and a catalyst for panpsychism’s recent revival. This long overdue new edition of the book gives the original commentators, where they feel they have something more to add, an opportunity to update their thinking on the topic of panpsychism in general and Strawson’s realistic monism in particular. Seven new postscripts are included, which aim to enhance the original collection and push the discussion onwards. Eighteen years have passed since the first edition of this groundbreaking volume, and Strawson remains a distinctive and important voice in the field — the new edition is a must-read for all who are interested in consciousness studies.

Phenomenal Concepts and Phenomenal Knowledge

Author : Associate Professor of Philosophy Torin Alter,Junior Lecturer Department of Philosophy Sven Walter
Publisher : Oxford University Press on Demand
Page : 360 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2007
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780195171655

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Phenomenal Concepts and Phenomenal Knowledge by Associate Professor of Philosophy Torin Alter,Junior Lecturer Department of Philosophy Sven Walter Pdf

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Beyond Physicalism

Author : Daniel D. Hutto
Publisher : John Benjamins Publishing
Page : 324 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2000-05-15
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9789027283436

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Beyond Physicalism by Daniel D. Hutto Pdf

Unlike standard attempts to address the so-called ‘hard problem’ of consciousness, which assume our understanding of consciousness is unproblematic, this book begins by focusing on phenomenology and is devoted to clarifying the relations between intentionality, propositional content and experience. In particular, it argues that the subjectivity of experience cannot be understood in representationalist terms. This is important, for it is because many philosophers fail to come to terms with subjectivity that they are at a loss to provide a convincing solution to the mind-body problem. In this light the metaphysical problem is revealed to be a product of the misguided attempt to incorporate consciousness within an object-based schema, inspired by physicalism. A similar problem arises in the interpretation of quantum mechanics and this gives us further reason to look beyond physicalism, in matters metaphysical. Thus the virtues of absolute idealism are re-examined, as are the wider consequences of adopting its understanding of truth within the philosophy of science. This book complements the arguments and investigations of The Presence of Mind, which it partners. (Series A)

Physicalism, or Something Near Enough

Author : Jaegwon Kim
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 201 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2007-12-03
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781400840847

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Physicalism, or Something Near Enough by Jaegwon Kim Pdf

Contemporary discussions in philosophy of mind have largely been shaped by physicalism, the doctrine that all phenomena are ultimately physical. Here, Jaegwon Kim presents the most comprehensive and systematic presentation yet of his influential ideas on the mind-body problem. He seeks to determine, after half a century of debate: What kind of (or "how much") physicalism can we lay claim to? He begins by laying out mental causation and consciousness as the two principal challenges to contemporary physicalism. How can minds exercise their causal powers in a physical world? Is a physicalist account of consciousness possible? The book's starting point is the "supervenience" argument (sometimes called the "exclusion" argument), which Kim reformulates in an extended defense. This argument shows that the contemporary physicalist faces a stark choice between reductionism (the idea that mental phenomena are physically reducible) and epiphenomenalism (the view that mental phenomena are causally impotent). Along the way, Kim presents a novel argument showing that Cartesian substance dualism offers no help with mental causation. Mind-body reduction, therefore, is required to save mental causation. But are minds physically reducible? Kim argues that all but one type of mental phenomena are reducible, including intentional mental phenomena, such as beliefs and desires. The apparent exceptions are the intrinsic, felt qualities of conscious experiences ("qualia"). Kim argues, however, that certain relational properties of qualia, in particular their similarities and differences, are behaviorally manifest and hence in principle reducible, and that it is these relational properties of qualia that are central to their cognitive roles. The causal efficacy of qualia, therefore, is not entirely lost. According to Kim, then, while physicalism is not the whole truth, it is the truth near enough.

Physicalism

Author : Daniel Stoljar
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 265 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2010-04-05
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781135149222

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Physicalism by Daniel Stoljar Pdf

Physicalism, the thesis that everything is physical, is one of the most controversial problems in philosophy. Its adherents argue that there is no more important doctrine in philosophy, whilst its opponents claim that its role is greatly exaggerated. In this superb introduction to the problem Daniel Stoljar focuses on three fundamental questions: the interpretation, truth and philosophical significance of physicalism. In answering these questions he covers the following key topics: a brief history of physicalism and its definitions what a physical property is and how physicalism meets challenges from empirical sciences ‘Hempel’s dilemma’ and the relationship between physicalism and physics physicalism and key debates in metaphysics and philosophy of mind, such as supervenience, identity and conceivability physicalism and causality. Additional features include chapter summaries, annotated further reading and a glossary of technical terms, making Physicalism ideal for those coming to the problem for the first time.

Knowledge, Possibility, and Consciousness

Author : John Perry
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 244 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 2001
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 0262661357

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Knowledge, Possibility, and Consciousness by John Perry Pdf

Physicalism is the idea that if everything that goes on is physical, our consciousness and feelings must also be physical. This book defends a view called antecedent physicalism.

Consciousness as Complex Event

Author : Craig Delancey
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 152 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2022-09-09
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781000649741

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Consciousness as Complex Event by Craig Delancey Pdf

Consciousness as Complex Event: Towards a New Physicalism provides a new approach to the study of consciousness. The author argues that what makes phenomenal experiences mysterious is that these experiences are extremely complex brain events. The text provides an accessible introduction to descriptive complexity (also known as Kolmogorov Complexity) and then applies this to show that the most influential arguments against physicalism about consciousness are unsound. The text also offers an accessible review of the current debates about consciousness and introduces a rigorous new conception of physicalism. It concludes with a positive program for the future study of phenomenal experience. It is readable and compact and will be of interest to philosophers and cognitive scientists, and of value to advanced students of philosophy. Key Features Provides a new approach to the study of consciousness, using information theory. Offers a valuable discussion of physicalism, of use in other disciplines. Contains an introduction to the main literature and arguments in the debate about consciousness. Includes an accessible overview of how to apply descriptive complexity to philosophical problems.

Consciousness and Fundamental Reality

Author : Philip Goff
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2017-07-21
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780190677022

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Consciousness and Fundamental Reality by Philip Goff Pdf

A core philosophical project is the attempt to uncover the fundamental nature of reality, the limited set of facts upon which all other facts depend. Perhaps the most popular theory of fundamental reality in contemporary analytic philosophy is physicalism, the view that the world is fundamentally physical in nature. The first half of this book argues that physicalist views cannot account for the evident reality of conscious experience, and hence that physicalism cannot be true. Unusually for an opponent of physicalism, Goff argues that there are big problems with the most well-known arguments against physicalismChalmers' zombie conceivability argument and Jackson's knowledge argumentand proposes significant modifications. The second half of the book explores and defends a recently rediscovered theory of fundamental realityor perhaps rather a grouping of such theoriesknown as 'Russellian monism.' Russellian monists draw inspiration from a couple of theses defended by Bertrand Russell in The Analysis of Matter in 1927. Russell argued that physics, for all its virtues, gives us a radically incomplete picture of the world. It tells us only about the extrinsic, mathematical features of material entities, and leaves us in the dark about their intrinsic nature, about how they are in and of themselves. Following Russell, Russellian monists suppose that it is this 'hidden' intrinsic nature of matter that explains human and animal consciousness. Some Russellian monists adopt panpsychism, the view that the intrinsic natures of basic material entities involve consciousness; others hold that basic material entities are proto-conscious rather than conscious. Throughout the second half of the book various forms of Russellian monism are surveyed, and the key challenges facing it are discussed. The penultimate chapter defends a cosmopsychist form of Russellian monism, according to which all facts are grounded in facts about the conscious universe.

The Waning of Materialism

Author : Robert C. Koons,George Bealer
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 524 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2010-03-25
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780191614019

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The Waning of Materialism by Robert C. Koons,George Bealer Pdf

Twenty-three philosophers examine the doctrine of materialism find it wanting. The case against materialism comprises arguments from conscious experience, from the unity and identity of the person, from intentionality, mental causation, and knowledge. The contributors include leaders in the fields of philosophy of mind, metaphysics, ontology, and epistemology, who respond ably to the most recent versions and defences of materialism. The modal arguments of Kripke and Chalmers, Jackson’s knowledge argument, Kim’s exclusion problem, and Burge’s anti-individualism all play a part in the building of a powerful cumulative case against the materialist research program. Several papers address the implications of contemporary brain and cognitive research (the psychophysics of color perception, blindsight, and the effects of commissurotomies), adding a posteriori arguments to the classical a priori critique of reductionism. All of the current versions of materialism — reductive and non-reductive, functionalist, eliminativist, and new wave materialism — come under sustained and trenchant attack. In addition, a wide variety of alternatives to the materialist conception of the person receive new and illuminating attention, including anti-materialist versions of naturalism, property dualism, Aristotelian and Thomistic hylomorphism, and non-Cartesian accounts of substance dualism.

Physicalism and Its Discontents

Author : Carl Gillett,Barry Loewer
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 396 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2001-11-26
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 0521801753

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Physicalism and Its Discontents by Carl Gillett,Barry Loewer Pdf

A collection of essays by physicalists and their critics on the important doctrine of physicalism, first published in 2001.

Consciousness in the Physical World

Author : Torin Andrew Alter,Yujin Nagasawa
Publisher : Philosophy of Mind
Page : 473 pages
File Size : 52,9 Mb
Release : 2015
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780199927357

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Consciousness in the Physical World by Torin Andrew Alter,Yujin Nagasawa Pdf

According to Russellian monism, an alternative to the familiar theories in the philosophy of mind that combines attractive components of physicalism and dualism, matter has intrinsic properties that both constitute consciousness and serve as categorical bases for the dispositional properties described in physics. Consciousness in the Physical World collects various works on Russellian monism, including historical selections, recent classics, and new pieces. Most chapters are sympathetic with the view, but some are skeptical. Together, they constitute the first book-length treatment of the view itself, its relationship to other theories, its motivations, and its problems.

E-Physicalism

Author : Reinaldo J. Bernal Velásquez
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter
Page : 240 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2013-05-02
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9783110325560

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E-Physicalism by Reinaldo J. Bernal Velásquez Pdf

This work advances a theory in the metaphysics of phenomenal consciousness, which the author labels “e-physicalism”. Firstly, he endorses a realist stance towards consciousness and physicalist metaphysics. Secondly, he criticises Strong AI and functionalist views, and claims that consciousness has an internal character. Thirdly, he discusses HOT theories, the unity of consciousness, and holds that the “explanatory gap” is not ontological but epistemological. Fourthly, he argues that consciousness is not a supervenient but an emergent property, not reducible and endowed with original causal powers, with respect to the micro-constituents of the conscious entity. Fifthly, he addresses the “zombie argument” and the “supervenience argument” within the e-physicalism framework. Finally, he elaborates on the claim that phenomenal properties are physical and discusses the “knowledge argument”.