TagMaterialism
Beyond Materialism: Bruce Gordon on the Compelling Case for Idealism
Over the years, multiple explanations for the nature of reality have been proposed. Physicalists will claim that the only things that exist are physical matter. However, others in the dualist camp maintain that there are non-physical aspects of reality, such as immaterial concepts like numbers, logic, or a person’s mental state. Finally, we have idealists, who hold that the fundamental Read More ›
In a Materialistic Universe, Literature Doesn’t Make Sense
Language itself is theological. It’s an ascent
A Podcast Host Asks, How Many Neurosurgeons Are Materialists…?
Will Spencer asked neurosurgeon Michael Egnor how he responds to colleagues who believe that we are just meat puppets
The Immortal Mind: How Neuroscience Points Beyond Materialism
Andrew McDiarmid interviews neurosurgeon Michael Egnor on the ways in which the mind is more than the brain
Why Our Minds Are More Than “Meat Computers”
Some scientists and philosophers hold the view that our brains are basically brains made of meat. Today, Dr. Eric Holloway and Dr. Robert J. Marks explain what’s wrong with this idea in the concluding segment of their conversation with guest host Patrick Flynn. For starters, the computational theory of mind may be incompatible with materialism or physicalism, as formal, abstract Read More ›
Beyond Materialism: Exploring the Mind-Brain Relationship
Neurosurgeon Michael Egnor and philosopher Angus Menuge probe the relationship through philosophy, neuroscience, and information theory
A Novelist Posts on the Paranormal
Accounting for experiences of the supernatural
Beyond the Physical: A Panel Discussion on the Nature of the Mind
Many proponents of artificial intelligence operate from an assumption that our own minds and conscious experience can be solely attributed to our physical brains. But is this assumption true? This question is the key focus of the book Minding the Brain, edited by our guests: Angus Menuge, Brian Krouse, and Robert J. Marks. Joining them to discuss this volume is today’s Read More ›
Consciousness, Materialism, and the Limits of Reductionism
On this episode, host Pat Flynn concludes a three-part conversation with Dr. Selmer Bringsjord about all things related to AI, consciousness, and rationality. In Part 3, Flynn and Bringsjord summarize their points about integrated information theory and an alternative view, cognitive consciousness. The discussion explores the challenges of explaining consciousness from a materialist or physicalist perspective, noting the apparent qualitative Read More ›
Dembski: Information is the Basic Stuff of Reality
It's information all the way down, says mathematician and philosopher William DembskiIf information, not matter, is the basic stuff of reality, how would this change the way we look at the world? On a classic episode of ID the Future, Center for Science and Culture Managing Director John West sits down with mathematician and philosopher William Dembski to discuss his 2014 book Being as Communion: A Metaphysics of Information. Building on his previous books making a case for intelligent design, Being as Communion presents a metaphysical framework for an informational world that can accommodate intelligent design. One of Dembski’s key arguments is that matter isn’t the fundamental unit of reality. “Everything that we call matter reveals itself through patterns, through information,” says Dr. Dembski. To get to the heart of the matter, we must look Read More ›
No, Chatbots Are Not Conscious
The arguments in favor of computer consciousness remain weakIn the midst of all the chatter surrounding AI and chatbots, one might be led to believe that the concepts of consciousness or even the soul, let alone the afterlife, are simply relics of outdated beliefs. This sentiment is often echoed by some scientists, raising the question: Is this truly the case? And should we readily accept this perspective? In a recent episode of Mindscape, renowned philosopher and cognitive scientist Raphael Millerie, who boasts an Oxford education and is now a fellow at the Center of Science and Society, teamed up with Sean Carroll, a prominent theoretical physicist known for debunking notions of the soul and the afterlife, to delve into the world of chatbots and AI (see episode 230). Read More ›
Science Needs a Mind to Work
The use of science to discredit the existence of mental subjects is fatally flawed.
Philip Goff’s “Why” and Inflated Success
We are still nowhere closer to arriving at a science of consciousness
Materialism Can’t Account for Beauty
Concepts like truth, beauty, and goodness can't be derived from the material world
How Could Human Consciousness “Evolve”?
Human consciousness entails a unique human ability to think abstractly .
Science of Consciousness: The Elephant in the Room
Science has had great success in explaining many functions of living organisms in purely material terms. So why not consciousness?
When Science Points Beyond the Physical
The idea that science has somehow shown the irrelevance of the mind to explaining behavior is seriously confused.
The Big Problem for Physicalism
One physicalist theory after another has either ignored or falsified the central characteristics of consciousnessEditor’s note: We are delighted to welcome the new book from Discovery Institute Press, Minding the Brain: Models of the Mind, Information, and Empirical Science, edited by Angus J. L. Menuge, Brian R. Krouse, and Robert J. Marks. Below is an excerpt from Chapter 2. Look for more information at MindingtheBrain.org. By Angus Menuge The history of physicalism is one of extraordinary diversity: a wide variety of theories, with multiple versions, have jockeyed for dominance. Yet it is also a tale of persistent failure. One physicalist theory after another has either ignored or falsified the central characteristics of consciousness, intentionality, and rationality that define our mental life. We will begin by tracing the history of physicalism from the early varieties of behaviorism Read More ›
An Introduction to Minding the Brain
Is your mind the same thing as your brain? Or are there aspects of mind that are external to the biology of the brain?Editor’s note: We are delighted to welcome the new book from Discovery Institute Press, Minding the Brain: Models of the Mind, Information, and Empirical Science, edited by Angus J. Menuge, Brian R. Krouse, and Robert J. Marks. Below is an excerpt from the Introduction. Look for more information at MindingtheBrain.org. Is your mind the same thing as your brain? Or are there aspects of mind that are external to the biology of the brain? This question, referred to as the mind-body problem or the mind-brain problem, has been debated for centuries and has captivated curious minds since the dawn of human contemplation. What is the relationship between our mental life and physical body? Intuition suggests our subjective experience of the world is tightly Read More ›