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The mind is a fascinating entity. Where, after all, would we be without it? But what exactly is it? These days many people believe the mind simply is the brain. Descartes would have disagreed profoundly. He recommended a dualism of substance. Modern philosophers are again finding various forms of dualism attractive because the problems with physicalism are so intractable. One such problem is whether the mind, like the brain, is located in space (specifically inside the head). But does philosophy have anything sensible to say about the mind? Surely today it is scientists we should be listening to? Come and find out why this is – and always will be – false.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ philosophy of mind • mind–brain relation • critiques of identity theory and physicalism • non-reductive physicalism issues • dualism and alternatives • framing the right questions • audience Q&AThis podcast is an introductory series on central debates in the philosophy of mind, focused on what the mind is and how it relates to the brain. It sets up the contrast between physicalist views—according to which mental states are ultimately physical states—and dualist approaches associated with Descartes and with more recent philosophical work that revisits non-physicalist options.
Across the episodes, the discussion examines prominent physicalist theories and the reasons their proponents give for identifying or tightly linking mental phenomena with brain processes. It then explores objections to these accounts, including challenges for identity theory and for “non-reductive” forms of physicalism that try to preserve the reality of mental properties without reducing them straightforwardly to neuroscience.
Building on these difficulties, the series considers what alternatives might look like if standard physicalist strategies do not succeed, and it raises a more methodological question about whether traditional ways of framing the mind–brain problem are misguided. Throughout, the emphasis is on philosophical analysis—clarifying concepts, testing arguments, and assessing what kinds of explanations are available—while also addressing the common view that science alone can settle questions about the nature of mind. The series concludes with an audience questions-and-answers session that revisits and clarifies key points from the preceding discussions.
| Episodes: |
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Part 5: Questions and Answers 2012-Apr-10 67 minutes |
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Part 4: Are We Asking the Wrong Questions? 2012-Feb-07 82 minutes |
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Part 3: If Physicalism Won't Work, What is the Alternative? 2012-Feb-07 67 minutes |
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Part 2: Non-Reductive Physicalisms and the Problems they Face 2012-Feb-07 91 minutes |
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Part 1: Identity Theory and Why it Won't Work 2012-Feb-07 90 minutes |