Overview
This lecture debates whether humans are "more than matter," focusing on mind, consciousness, free will, and the relationship between physical and mental realities. Philosophers Daniel Dennett (naturalist, atheist) and Keith Ward (idealist, theist) articulate contrasting perspectives.
Philosophical Perspectives: Naturalism vs. Idealism
- Daniel Dennett: Naturalist view—all phenomena, including consciousness, explained by physical processes and information.
- Consciousness arises from complex brain computations and is not an extra substance.
- Keith Ward: Idealist view—consciousness is primary; material world depends on mind/consciousness, possibly God's mind.
- Idealism emphasizes that all knowledge and perception are mediated by conscious experience.
- Ward believes consciousness cannot be fully explained by physical brain states.
The Hard Problem of Consciousness
- "Hard problem": How physical processes create subjective experiences (e.g., "what it's like" to hear music).
- Dennett argues the "hard problem" is a conceptual confusion similar to outdated vitalism in biology.
- Ward insists subjective experience is irreducible to brain activity and distinguishes consciousness from mere physical processes.
Mind, Self, and Identity
- Dennett: Sense of self is an evolved user interface ("user illusion")—a way for brains to efficiently manage complexity.
- Ward: The self (or soul) is an immaterial center of experience and continuity, not identical to the physical brain.
- Both agree memory and experience are crucial, but differ on whether the self is material or immaterial.
Purpose, Value, and Morality
- Ward: Purpose and moral values are objective, discovered truths, not human inventions.
- Dennett: Purposes and values emerge bottom-up through evolution and culture; moral progress is a human achievement, not divinely mandated.
- Debate over whether values require a transcendent source (God) or can arise from human development.
Free Will and Determinism
- Dennett: Compatibilist—autonomy and control matter more than metaphysical free will; determinism does not negate meaningful choice.
- Ward: Libertarian—genuine alternate possibilities exist; self can decide independently of total past physical causes.
- Both discuss implications for moral responsibility and legal accountability.
Reason, Rationality, and Explanation
- Dennett: Our sophisticated truth-seeking capacities evolved naturally; reasoning can be reduced to brain processes.
- Ward: Reasoning and rationality point to a non-physical self using the brain as an instrument.
- Disagreement over whether beliefs are determined by physical processes or personal agency.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Naturalism — worldview where only physical phenomena and laws exist.
- Idealism — view that mind or consciousness is the fundamental reality.
- Consciousness — subjective awareness or experience.
- Hard problem of consciousness — explaining how subjective experience arises from physical processes.
- Compatibilism — belief that free will is compatible with determinism.
- Libertarian Free Will — belief in genuine alternative possibilities in human choices.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review definitions of philosophical positions (naturalism, idealism, compatibilism, libertarianism).
- Read further on the "hard problem" of consciousness and Bayesian predictive coding.
- Prepare for class discussion by considering whether values and purposes require a metaphysical foundation.