My first degree was in mathematics. That was great, but it didn't help with many of the things that puzzled me. I became a philosopher because I wanted to understand everything, especially those things that didn't make sense. And that has continued to be my philosophical motivation. That's one reason I have such a roving philosophical eye - once I have figured out a philosophical topic to my satisfaction, I find myself moving on to new problems.
In truth a clear-headed physicalist shouldn't be thinking any of these dualist thoughts. If pains are one and the same as C-fibres firing, then there… - David Papineau
In truth a clear-headed physicalist shouldn't be thinking any of these dualist thoughts. If pains are one and the same as C-fibres firing, then there…
- David Papineau
Natural selection has ensured that each species achieves the requisite effect somehow, but it doesn't care, so to speak, how the trick is done. - David Papineau
Natural selection has ensured that each species achieves the requisite effect somehow, but it doesn't care, so to speak, how the trick is done.
I say that there is nothing deficient about our current theoretical grasp of mind-brain identities. The problem is only that they are counter-intuiti… - David Papineau
I say that there is nothing deficient about our current theoretical grasp of mind-brain identities. The problem is only that they are counter-intuiti…
On the methodological issue, I think that would be hopeless to try to adjudicate between my view and orthodoxy by appeal to phenomenological introspe… - David Papineau
On the methodological issue, I think that would be hopeless to try to adjudicate between my view and orthodoxy by appeal to phenomenological introspe…
Of course our genes will make some capacities very much easier to learn than others, and of course our genes themselves are not learned. But the poin… - David Papineau
Of course our genes will make some capacities very much easier to learn than others, and of course our genes themselves are not learned. But the poin…
The 'phenomenal concept' issue is rather different, I think. Here the question is whether there are concepts of experiences that are made available t… - David Papineau
The 'phenomenal concept' issue is rather different, I think. Here the question is whether there are concepts of experiences that are made available t…
There is a brain mechanism that works to identify colour differences directly, without first identifying the absolute colour of each surface. So on m… - David Papineau
There is a brain mechanism that works to identify colour differences directly, without first identifying the absolute colour of each surface. So on m…
I think that there are non-physical laws all right: genuine (if not strict) laws written in the language of biology, economics, and so on. But I don'… - David Papineau
I think that there are non-physical laws all right: genuine (if not strict) laws written in the language of biology, economics, and so on. But I don'…
After all, in supporting phenomenal concepts I am in a sense siding with introspection against the more behaviourist Wittgensteinians. But even so I … - David Papineau
After all, in supporting phenomenal concepts I am in a sense siding with introspection against the more behaviourist Wittgensteinians. But even so I …
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