Lecture � Nagel � Psychophysical nexus

Greg Detre

@5 on Thursday, 25 May, 2000

Gareth Evans Memorial Lecture

 

Introduction

Gareth Evans � �disinterested ferocity� � cared more deeply than anyone else about philosophy

subjective/objective distinction

Wittgenstein: complained of the �loss of problems� in (his friend) Russell�s work

 

Main

functional role of the perception of the colour red in causing behaviour

conceptual truth = discoverable by what we would say on finding things to be different

a posteriori necessary = given what we know, it must be so

the fact that it seems that I can imagine physiological brain processes without the taste of chocolate

�/span> apparently contingent mind/body

= an act of sympathetic imagination

split-brain = evidence that parts of our bodies support unified consciousness

psychophysical unity in sub-parts?

 

 

Q&A afterwards

mental/physical as analogous with fountains/H20

functional vs structural

not all water is in fountains

physiognomical

Questions (mine)

analytic vs a priori vs conceptual

functionalism = structural conditions re its interaction with the environment