Parker's Pensées Ep. 183 - Do Souls Exist? | Mike Huemer vs. Graham Oppy
Jul 11, 2022
In this thought-provoking dialogue, Graham Oppy, a world-class philosopher and staunch atheist, squares off against Mike Huemer, an agnostic thinker advocating for the existence of immaterial souls. They tackle the nature of consciousness, exploring mind-body dualism and the philosophical implications of qualia. Their discussion ranges from the intricacies of free will and determinism to the ethics of fetal consciousness and the emergence of intelligence in evolution. Prepare for a captivating exploration of reality, existence, and the meaning of souls!
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Qualia Challenge Physicalism
- Qualia are the subjective "what it's like" aspect of mental states that resist physical explanation.
- Nagel's and Jackson's thought experiments challenge physicalist accounts of consciousness.
Physicalist Reply to Qualia Argument
- Graham Oppy defends physicalist identity theory, claiming experience of qualia can be known only by being in the state.
- Mary gains new knowledge by experiencing red, consistent with physicalist mind states.
Scale Independence in Properties
- Higher-level properties (biological, chemical) cannot be fully reduced to lower-level microphysical properties.
- Oppy rejects hierarchical reduction, favoring scale independence over emergentism.