The Problem With Science Being Insufficient to Explain Our Experiences

3min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

David says he has true knowledge about what you're likely to do and say when you're hungry. But here's the question then, will you have a understanding of why you feel hungry? David: Ultimately this is a problem about science being inadequate to even explain to us our own experiences.

We try (with varying success) to wrap our heads around Thomas Nagel’s classic article “What is it Like to be a Bat?" Does science have the tools to give us a theory of consciousness or is that project doomed from the outset? Why do reductionist or functionalist explanations seem so unsatisfying? Is the problem that consciousness is subjective, or is it something about the nature of conscious experience itself? Is this ultimately an epistemological or metaphysical question? What are we talking about? Do we even know anymore?

Plus, the return of Mr. Robot! We talk about the big new mystery at the heart of the new season.

Support Very Bad Wizards

Links: