Consciousness and the Metaphysics of Mind-Brain
Identity
VDM Verlag Dr. Müller
(2009-07-07
)
eligible for voucher
ISBN-13:
978-3-639-16536-4
ISBN-10:
3639165365
EAN:
9783639165364
Book language:
English
Blurb/Shorttext:
The mind-body problem is in fact a cluster of
closely related problems. The most vexing problems,
it would seem, involve conscious experience. What
are “qualia,” the variegated raw feels of conscious
experiences? Do they take part in the causal goings-
on of the physical world? Do they make a difference?
And if so, can we give a scientifically plausible
account of their causal relevance? It is my
contention that qualia are neurophysiological
properties of the organisms that have them. Not only
elegant and parsimonious, such an account provides
for a straightforward explanation of the causal
efficacy of conscious experiences. If qualia are
neurophysiological properties of the central nervous
system, their place in the dynamical economy of the
living organism—and thus the natural world—is
apparent and unproblematic. However, the identity
thesis faces a number of substantive objections and
it is the aim of this book to evaluate its prospects
in the face of these challenges.