The Importance of Mind Stuff

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Paul Bloom says that ordinary people are dualists, he means in a very pre-theoretical way. But explaining the world in terms of mental concepts or even categories doesn't mean you think those concepts aren't also physical. Even infants understand that things that have minds behave differently than things that don't. It just means they have something that has the powers that we ascribe to mental states like beliefs.

Our streak of very special guests continues! Philosopher Eddy Nahmias joins the podcast to us why people mistakenly think they're not morally responsible, and how his new study casts doubt on Sam Harris's "pamphlet" on free will. Eddy also describes his new project (with Toni Adleberg and Morgan Thompson) on why women leave philosophy. Plus Dave and I discuss some reasons for having children, and eat a little Partially Examined Life crow.

Links

"Name five women in philosophy. Bet you can't." Tania Lombrozo, [npr.og]

"Do Women Have Different Philosophical Intuitions than Men?" Eddy Nahmias (philosophyofbrains.com)

"Is Neuroscience the Death of Free Will?' Eddy Nahmias. [nytimes.com]

Eddy on Bypassing [agencyandresponsbility.typepad.com]

Edd trashing Tamler's Book [agencyandresponsbility.typepad.com]

Special Guest: Eddy Nahmias.

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