Emergence, Consciousness & Panpsychism

John Heil gives a talk on the philosophical problem of consciousness and the relationship between mind and body. After giving an overview of some of the main philosophical positions and the various kinds of problems that arise for each, he then goes on to specifically discuss panpsychism. This talk was given at Durham University a few years back as part of a series on emergence.

#Philosophy #Consciousness #Mind

[hkumar]

What if consciousness, like gravity, is a bending of the space-time continuum whenever there is an assemblage of a certain kind of matter? There is no graviton, only the deformation of space-time given a large enough mass of particles?

Good lecture!

[margrietoregan]

28:56
describing it is there any reason to prefer davidson to descartes
29:02
start with the idea that physical theories designate properties by reference to the contributions those
29:09
properties make to what their bearers do or would do this turns physical properties into
29:15
powers so the mass of what's the mass of an electron the mass of an electron endows the electron with the power to
29:21
repel other electrons to attract positrons to interact in various ways with protons and so on so you can think
29:27
about fundamental physical properties as powers that
29:32
empower their bearers to do various things laws of nature simply codify what
29:38
these powers could do in contrast mental properties or some mental properties seem to have
29:45
an intrinsic qualitative nature does this show that mental and physical properties are dramatically different
29:51
species of property notice that if physics tells us that a property is a power this in no way implies that the
29:58
property is not equality this is an elementary logical point
30:04
accepting that a is f is not to accept that a isn't g it is at least consistent with the
30:10
properties being a power that it is equality properties could turn out to be powerful
30:15
qualities you might be willing to grant that this could be so yet doubt that it is so but
30:22
consider the identity of a power is determined by what is a power for
30:28
more precisely a power is a power to manifest itself in particular ways with particular kinds of reciprocal power so
30:35
the mass of the electron gives them a is a power that the electron has it endows
30:41
it with the capacity to uh interact with other electrons in a particular way with positrons in a particular way with
30:47
protons in a particular way and so on but let's think of a simple example
30:53
reflect on what it is for china bold to be fragile the bolds being fragile is a
30:58
matter of among other things the bulls being of a kind that would shatter when dropped on a hard surface or struck by a

[kevanhubbard]

Conciousness could be part of the structure of space/time itself.If it's coming from outside of space/time then it's a property of that something else interpretating the universe therefore ultimately a form of panentheism.

[martinsoto]

me when I attend one of my Physics courses 7:52