A Dilemma about the Mental
Physicalism demands an explication of what it means for something to be physical. But the most popular way of providing one—viz., characterizing the physical in terms of the postulates of a scientifically derived physical theory—is met with serious trouble. Proponents of physicalism can either appea...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | ces |
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Institute of Philosophy of the Slovak Academy of Sciences
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Organon F |
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| Online Access: | https://www.sav.sk/journals/uploads/11292211orgf.2021.28406.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818435057027645440 |
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| author | Guy Dove Andreas Elpidorou |
| author_facet | Guy Dove Andreas Elpidorou |
| author_sort | Guy Dove |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Physicalism demands an explication of what it means for something to be physical. But the most popular way of providing one—viz., characterizing the physical in terms of the postulates of a scientifically derived physical theory—is met with serious trouble. Proponents of physicalism can either appeal to current physical theory or to some future physical theory (preferably an ideal and complete one). Neither option is promising: currentism almost assuredly renders physicalism false and futurism appears to render it indeterminate or trivial. The purpose of this essay is to argue that attempts to characterize the mental encounter a similar dilemma: currentism with respect to the mental is likely to be inadequate or contain falsehoods and futurism leaves too many significant questions about the nature of mentality unanswered. This new dilemma, we show, threatens both sides of the current debate surrounding the metaphysical status of the mind. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T16:46:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a9279fc3ec2e40a1b43069defafc977d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1335-0668 2585-7150 |
| language | ces |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T16:46:49Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | Institute of Philosophy of the Slovak Academy of Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Organon F |
| spelling | doaj.art-a9279fc3ec2e40a1b43069defafc977d2022-12-21T22:54:09ZcesInstitute of Philosophy of the Slovak Academy of SciencesOrganon F1335-06682585-71502021-11-01284867895https://doi.org/10.31577/orgf.2021.28406A Dilemma about the MentalGuy Dove0Andreas Elpidorou1University of LouisvilleUniversity of LouisvillePhysicalism demands an explication of what it means for something to be physical. But the most popular way of providing one—viz., characterizing the physical in terms of the postulates of a scientifically derived physical theory—is met with serious trouble. Proponents of physicalism can either appeal to current physical theory or to some future physical theory (preferably an ideal and complete one). Neither option is promising: currentism almost assuredly renders physicalism false and futurism appears to render it indeterminate or trivial. The purpose of this essay is to argue that attempts to characterize the mental encounter a similar dilemma: currentism with respect to the mental is likely to be inadequate or contain falsehoods and futurism leaves too many significant questions about the nature of mentality unanswered. This new dilemma, we show, threatens both sides of the current debate surrounding the metaphysical status of the mind.https://www.sav.sk/journals/uploads/11292211orgf.2021.28406.pdfconsciousnessmaterialismmentalmetaphysicsmindphysicalphysicalismreductiontheory |
| spellingShingle | Guy Dove Andreas Elpidorou A Dilemma about the Mental Organon F consciousness materialism mental metaphysics mind physical physicalism reduction theory |
| title | A Dilemma about the Mental |
| title_full | A Dilemma about the Mental |
| title_fullStr | A Dilemma about the Mental |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Dilemma about the Mental |
| title_short | A Dilemma about the Mental |
| title_sort | dilemma about the mental |
| topic | consciousness materialism mental metaphysics mind physical physicalism reduction theory |
| url | https://www.sav.sk/journals/uploads/11292211orgf.2021.28406.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT guydove adilemmaaboutthemental AT andreaselpidorou adilemmaaboutthemental AT guydove dilemmaaboutthemental AT andreaselpidorou dilemmaaboutthemental |