Conceivability and the Silence of Physics

Journal of Consciousness Studies 24 (11-12):167-192 (2017)
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Abstract

According to the ‘conceivability argument’ [1] it’s conceivable that a conscious human being H may have a perfect physical duplicate H* who isn’t conscious, [2] whatever is conceivable is possible, therefore [3] H* may possibly exist. This paper argues that the conceivability argument can’t help in discussion of the ‘mind–body problem’ even if [2] is allowed to be true. This is not because [1] is false, but because we don’t and can’t know enough about the nature of the physical to know whether or not [1] is true. This follows from ‘the silence of physics’—the fact that physics neither does nor can tell us about the intrinsic non-structural nature of the physical, and the consequences of this fact for any adequate account of the meaning of the word ‘physical’.

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Galen Strawson
University of Texas at Austin

Citations of this work

Grounding grounds necessity.Julio De Rizzo - 2020 - Analysis 80 (4):639-647.
The modal argument improved.Brian Cutter - 2020 - Analysis 80 (4):629-639.
A hundred years of consciousness: “a long training in absurdity”.Galen Strawson - 2019 - Estudios de Filosofía (Universidad de Antioquia) 59.
The Silence of Physics.Barry Dainton - 2021 - Erkenntnis 88 (5):2207-2241.

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