Episode 34: Physicalism and the spooky side of metaphysics / February 21, 2022

With Donnchadh O'Conaill

Hosted by Jasmine Hunt Keir Aitken

Edited by Signe Emilie Eriksen

Posted in Metaphysics Main feed Philosophy of Mind

This week Keir and Jasmine take a dive into physicalism with Donnchadh O’Conaill, a researcher at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. We explore the issues that zombies (bodies with no brains) and ghosts (brains with no bodies) can pose for physicalism. We find out if physicalists should be checking under the beds at night or walking confidently into the dark?

Links to relevant papers / websites:

Donnchadh is currently working on the project The Subject of Experiences led by Prof. Martine Nida-Rümelin - details can be found on his webpage: www.donnchadhoconaill.com

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on the epistemology of modality: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/modality-epistemology/

Donnchadh O'Connaill (2021) 'Laying Ghosts to Rest': https://philpapers.org/rec/OCOLGT-2

Some info on my chapter on zombies: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315104706-5/conceive-conceive-zombies-donnchadh-conaill

A copy of this chapter can be made available on request - please email thoughtspodcast.gla@gmail.com

Philip Goff (2010) 'Ghosts and Sparse Properties': https://philpapers.org/rec/GOFDTP

Peter Kung (2010) 'Imaging as a Guide to Possibility': https://philpapers.org/rec/KUNPK-2

Peter Kung (2016)'You Really Do Imagine It: Against Error Theories of Imagination': https://philpapers.org/rec/KUNYRD

Thomas Nagel (1974) 'What is it Like to be a Bat?': https://philpapers.org/rec/NAGWII