Author: philosophami

Philosopher, judoka, coach, traveller, hiker, dancer, and dog-lover.

Chalmers’ Zombies and The Hornswoggle Problem: Patricia Churchland

Context and IntroductionIn this article Patricia Churchland is arguing against David Chalmers’ assertion that the physical sciences, including contemporary disciplines like neuroscience, will never be able to explain consciousness.  More specifically, they will never be able to explain the hard problem of consciousness: how and why physical processes give rise to subjective experience.  Otherwise stated, […]

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Epiphenomenal Qualia, The Knowledge Argument (Aka Mary’s Room): Frank Jackson

Introduction and ContextFrank Jackson (no relation to the late Michael Jackson) argues that even if you knew all the physical facts about a conscious experience and what brings it about, you would still be missing information.   That is, supposing you knew everything that happens in the brain–down to the neuron–when sees the color red […]

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The Persistence of Mental Attitudes: Folk Psychological Concepts vs Eliminative Materialism

Introduction and ContextWith eliminative materialism, we saw a reaction to dualism. Since folk psychological theories of mind got it so wrong (i.e., dualism), eliminative materialists argued we need to abandon everything related to folk psychology–including the concepts of belief and desire–and develop entirely new concepts that arise organically from modern scientific observations about the brain. […]

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Critical Thinking Reboot

This is the email I’m sending all my critical thinking students.  The class is getting stale and I need to try a different approach.  Subject: Dear Respected Ones, Dear Respected Ones, GREETINGS, Permit me to inform you of my desire of going into business relationship with you. I got your contact from the International web […]

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Brain Damage, Mind Damage, and Dualism (Phelan, Mandelbaum, and Nichols)

Introduction and Context:In describing what philosophy does, I’ve heard Prof. Todd Jones (of UNLV) say “philosophy is usually about one of two things:  Things that are so abstract and obscure that most people wouldn’t bother to think about them, and things that are so obvious that most people wouldn’t bother to think about them.”  Substance […]

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Descartes and Philosophy of Mind: The Conceivability Argument and the Divisibility Argument

Introduction and Context:Watch the Video first: http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/9CqbO_5FKRc&source=uds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CqbO_5FKRc So, is the brain the mind?  Is the mind the brain?  Are they separate things?  If so, are you your brain or your mind?  Or are you somehow both but they aren’t the same thing?  Are you confused? Poor Karl.  Lets try to help him clear up […]

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Gettier: The Challenge to the Traditional Conception of Knowledge

Introduction and ContextGettier’s “Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?” is considered to be one of–if not the most–important articles of 20th Century philosophy.  Pre-Gettier, the standard definition of knowledge (since at least Aristotle) was “justified true belief”.  Pretty much everyone we’ve studied so far held this account of knowledge to be correct (with the exception of Goldman who wrote post-Gettier […]

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