On this episode, host Dr. Michael Egnor continues his conversation with Dr. Bruce Gordon about a chapter he wrote in the recent volume Minding the Brain titled “Mind Over Matter: Idealism Ascendant.” In Part 2 of the conversation, Dr. Gordon reviews the strengths and weaknesses of dualism and its relationship to idealism. Different categories of dualism are evaluated, as well as challenges and criticisms of these perspectives. Egnor and Gordon explore how idealism, the belief that reality is fundamentally mental, can be compatible with hylomorphic dualism and address the question of why there is a material world if reality is mental. The discussion concludes by considering the potential blending of idealism and hylomorphism in understanding the relationship between the concrete and the abstract in human experience. Whether this is old hat for you or leaves you befuddled, you’re sure to pick up on something new and interesting in this discussion. This is Part 2 of a 3-part conversation.

Additional Resource

• Minding the Brain: Models of the Mind, Information, and Empirical Science
• Part 1 episode of this discussion
• Michael Egnor at Discovery Institute
• Bruce Gordon at Discovery Institute