Contemporary Dualism and the Hard Problem of Consciousness

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to David Chalmers' theory on consciousness and dualism, tailored for exam preparation.

David Chalmers

A contemporary philosopher known for his work on the philosophy of mind and consciousness.

Dualism

A philosophical position stating that the mind and body are fundamentally different substances.

The Hard Problem of Consciousness

The challenge of explaining why specific qualia are associated with specific brain states.

Qualia

The subjective, individual experiences of perception.

Property Dualism

The view that while there is only one kind of substance, it has both mental and physical properties.

Zombie Argument

An argument suggesting that it's conceivable to have beings that are physically identical to humans but lack consciousness.

Philosophical Zombie

A being that is physically and behaviorally indistinguishable from a human but lacks conscious experience.

Logical Possibility

Possibility that is consistent with the laws of logic, meaning no contradictions.

Physical Possibility

Possibility that is consistent with the laws of physics.

Neural Correlates of Consciousness (NCC)

Brain states that are consistently associated with conscious mental states.

Joseph Levine

A philosopher who introduced the concept of the explanatory gap regarding consciousness.

Interactionist Property Dualism

A perspective that mental properties can interact with physical properties.

Epiphenomenalist Property Dualism

A view that mental properties are non-causal by-products of physical processes.

Burden Tennis

A philosophical debate where each party challenges the other to prove their position regarding zombies.