I favour an interpretation of quantum mechanics (the 'Everett interpretation') according to which reality branches in any chancy quantum situation. On this view, Schrödinger's set-up will give rise to in two future branches of reality, one with a live cat, and one with a dead cat - and the talk of '50% chances' just indicates that the two branches are both equally real futures of the cat that originally entered the box.
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
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…
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'm not so sure that I am a reductionist in the strict type-identity sense. The issues here are messy. But I certainly a reductionist in the more gen… - David Papineau
I'm not so sure that I am a reductionist in the strict type-identity sense. The issues here are messy. But I certainly a reductionist in the more gen…
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'…
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…
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…
A century ago mainstream science was still quite happy to countenance vital and mental powers which had a 'downwards' causal influence on the physica… - David Papineau
A century ago mainstream science was still quite happy to countenance vital and mental powers which had a 'downwards' causal influence on the physica…
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…
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