The Relation of Consciousness to the Material World Essays

The Relation of Consciousness to the Material Worl The relation of consciousness to the material world is puzzle, which has its origin in dualism, a philosophy of mind which posits their fundamental separation. Dualism, in turn, has its roots in folk wisdom. The belief that humans are more than bodies and that there is something in human nature that survives bodily death has its origins in prehistory; it becomes explicit in the mythology of Ancient Egypt and Assyria and was formulated into a philosophical position in the Platonic thought of Ancient Greece. But the contemporary view that the interaction of consciousness with matter poses a problem which may be beyond scientific understanding can be traced to a clearer formulation of†¦show more content†¦Within twentieth century philosophy and science it is far more fashionable to reduce dualism to a form of materialism, for example to assume or attempt to show that consciousness is nothing more than a state or function of the brain (physicalism or functionalism). If either fo rm of reduction is successful the explanatory gap left by dualism disappears, for the reason that all that needs to be explained can then be explained within the domain of natural science. Fashion, however, is beginning to change (see, for example, the debates between Dennett, Fenwick, Gray, Harnad, Humphrey, Libet, Lockwood, Marcel, Nagel, Searle, Shoemaker, Singer, Van Gulick, Velmans, and Williams in Ciba Foundation Symposium 174, 1993). The reasons for this are many - but in essence they have to do with the realization that once one has explained everything that there is to explain about the material structure and functioning of brains, one will still be left with the problems of consciousness. To put matters crudely, one cannot find consciousness by any conceivable histological examination of the brain. Nor, as Nagel (1974) puts it, can one know what it is like to be something from a physical description alone. In Velmans (1991a) I haveShow MoreRelatedKarl Marx s Theories Of Hi story And The Theory Of Human Nature Essay1714 Words   |  7 PagesTrier, Prussia (Germany) in 1818 to a middle class family and later died in 1883. Karl Marx’s philosophies on society, politics and economics is collectively understood as Marxism. He was a materialist and an atheist who had a profound impact on the world of intellectual thought. 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Although geographically speaking, the enlightenment ideal was based in western EuropeRead MoreThere are numerous theorists that explain the significance of the State in regards to their900 Words   |  4 Pages There are numerous theorists that explain the significance of the State in regards to their beliefs. Pin pointing the exact nature of the State is difficult to do as we have learned and discussed. However, because the State affects the way the world functions, it’s important to further understand different conceptualizations about the State and its roles. Two main scholars that have illustrated these different understandings, but in some sense relate to one another are Karl Marx and Antonio GramsciRead MoreWilliam Cronon And Neil Smith1259 Words   |  6 Pagesidealizing it and thinking of it as somewhere distant and remote we don’t belong. 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