MoM - Property Dualism

Question 1

Define property dualism

Answer 1

Property dualism claims that there is only physical substance, and that the brain is comprised of both physical and non-physical properties, and these comprise the brain as ontologically distinct properties

Question 2

What are Chalmers’ 2 crazy ideas?

Answer 2

1: consciousness is fundamental, like space/time/mass/electromagnetism
2: panpsychism - everything is conscious at some level, and some cultures already believe this

Question 3

What is the easy problem of consciousness?

Answer 3

The problem of analysing and explaining the functions of consciousness, e.g. the fact that we can consciously control our behaviour, or report on our mental states. These are easy as they can be explained in physical/functional terms

Question 4

What is the hard problem of consciousness?

Answer 4

The problem of analysing and explaining the phenomenal properties of consciousness - what it is like to undergo conscious experiences. It is hard to explain these in physical/functional terms

Question 5

Explain the knowledge/Mary argument

Answer 5

Mary knows everything to know about the process of colour vision, but has never seen colour. She learns something new when she experiences colour vision herself, therefore there is more to know about colour vision beyond physical facts (therefore physicalism is false)

Question 6

What is the philosophical zombies argument?

Answer 6

• Chalmers claims that philosophical zombies (people who lack qualia and consciousness) are conceivable as we can imagine a world of people who are physically and functionally identical to us but lack qualia
• If they are conceivable, they are metaphysically possible, therefore qualia must be non-physical, and PD must be true