There’s another theory that isn’t even on Chalmers’s list: dual aspect neutral monism.
This holds that the physical sciences are one possible map of territory which is not itself, intrinsically, physical (or, for that matter, mental). Consciousness is another map, or aspect.
This approach has the advantage of dualism, in that there is no longer a need to explain the mental in terms of the physical, to reduce it to the physical, because the physical is no longer regarded as fundamental (nor is the mental, hence the “neutral”). Although an ontological identity between the physical and mental is accepted, the epistemic irreducibility of the mental to the physical is also accepted. Physicalism, in the sense that the physical sciences have a unique and priveleged explanatory role, is therefore rejected.
Nonetheless, the fact that the physical sciences “work” in many ways, that the physical map can be accurate, is retained. Moreover, since Dual Aspect theory is not fully fledged dualism, it is able to sidestep most or all of the standard objections to dualism.
To take one example, since the a conscious mental state and physical brain state are ultimately the same thing, the expected relationships hold between them. For instance, mental states cannot vary without some change in the physical state (supervenience follows directly from identity, without any special apparatus); furthermore, since mental states are ultimately identical to physical brain states, they share the causal powers of brain states (again without the need to posit special explanatory apparatus such as “psychophysical laws”)This holds that the physical sciences are one possible map of territory which is not itself, intrinsically, physical (or, for that matter, mental). Consciousness is another map, or aspect.
This approach has the advantage of dualism, in that there is no longer a need to explain the mental in terms of the physical, to reduce it to the physical, because the physical is no longer regarded as fundamental (nor is the mental, hence the “neutral”). Although an ontological identity between the physical and mental is accepted, the epistemic irreducibility of the mental to the physical is also accepted. Physicalism, in the sense that the physical sciences have a unique and privileged explanatory role, is therefore rejected.
Nonetheless, the fact that the physical sciences “work” in many ways, that the physical map can be accurate, is retained. Moreover, since Dual Aspect theory is not fully fledged dualism, it is able to sidestep most or all of the standard objections to dualism.
To take one example, since the a conscious mental state and physical brain state are ultimately the same thing, the expected relationships hold between them. For instance, mental states cannot vary without some change in the physical state (supervenience follows directly from identity, without any special apparatus); furthermore, since mental states are ultimately identical to physical brain states, they share the causal powers of brain states, and in that way epiphenomenalism is avoided.
The more familiar kinds of dualism are substance and property dualism. Both take a physical ontology “as is” and add something extra, and both have problems with explaining how the additional substances or properties interact with physical substances and properties, and both of course have problems with ontological parsimony (Occam’s Razor).
In contrast to a substance or property, an aspect is a relational kind of thing. In Dual Aspect theory, a conscious state is interpreted as being based on the kind of relationship and entity has with itself, and the kind of interaction it has with itself. The physical is reinterpreted as a kind of interaction with and relation to the external. It is not clear whether this theory adds anything fundamentally new, ontologically, since most people will accept the existence of some kind of inner/outer distinction, although the distinction may be made to do more work in Dual Aspect theory. Reinterpreting the physical is a genuine third alternative to accepting (only) the physical, denying the physical, and suplementing the physical.
The more familiar kinds of dualism are substance and property dualism. Both take a physical ontology “as is” and add something extra, and both have problems with explaining how the additional substances or properties interact with physical substances and properties, and both of course have problems with ontological parsimony (Occam’s Razor).
In contrast to a substance or property, an aspect is a relational kind of thing. In Dual Aspect theory, a conscious state is interpreted as being based on the kind of relationship and entity has with itself, and the kind of interaction it has with itself. The physical is reinterpreted as a kind of interaction with and relation to the external. It is not clear whether this theory adds anything fundamentally new, ontologically, since most people will accept the existence of some kind of inner/outer distinction, although the distinction may be made to do more work in Dual Aspect theory. Reinterpreting the physical is a genuine third alternative to accepting (only) the physical, denying the physical, and suplemmenting the physical.
There’s another theory that isn’t even on Chalmers’s list: dual aspect neutral monism.
This holds that the physical sciences are one possible map of territory which is not itself, intrinsically, physical (or, for that matter, mental). Consciousness is another map, or aspect.
This approach has the advantage of dualism, in that there is no longer a need to explain the mental in terms of the physical, to reduce it to the physical, because the physical is no longer regarded as fundamental (nor is the mental, hence the “neutral”). Although an ontological identity between the physical and mental is accepted, the epistemic irreducibility of the mental to the physical is also accepted. Physicalism, in the sense that the physical sciences have a unique and priveleged explanatory role, is therefore rejected.
Nonetheless, the fact that the physical sciences “work” in many ways, that the physical map can be accurate, is retained. Moreover, since Dual Aspect theory is not fully fledged dualism, it is able to sidestep most or all of the standard objections to dualism.
To take one example, since the a conscious mental state and physical brain state are ultimately the same thing, the expected relationships hold between them. For instance, mental states cannot vary without some change in the physical state (supervenience follows directly from identity, without any special apparatus); furthermore, since mental states are ultimately identical to physical brain states, they share the causal powers of brain states (again without the need to posit special explanatory apparatus such as “psychophysical laws”)This holds that the physical sciences are one possible map of territory which is not itself, intrinsically, physical (or, for that matter, mental). Consciousness is another map, or aspect.
This approach has the advantage of dualism, in that there is no longer a need to explain the mental in terms of the physical, to reduce it to the physical, because the physical is no longer regarded as fundamental (nor is the mental, hence the “neutral”). Although an ontological identity between the physical and mental is accepted, the epistemic irreducibility of the mental to the physical is also accepted. Physicalism, in the sense that the physical sciences have a unique and privileged explanatory role, is therefore rejected.
Nonetheless, the fact that the physical sciences “work” in many ways, that the physical map can be accurate, is retained. Moreover, since Dual Aspect theory is not fully fledged dualism, it is able to sidestep most or all of the standard objections to dualism.
To take one example, since the a conscious mental state and physical brain state are ultimately the same thing, the expected relationships hold between them. For instance, mental states cannot vary without some change in the physical state (supervenience follows directly from identity, without any special apparatus); furthermore, since mental states are ultimately identical to physical brain states, they share the causal powers of brain states, and in that way epiphenomenalism is avoided.
The more familiar kinds of dualism are substance and property dualism. Both take a physical ontology “as is” and add something extra, and both have problems with explaining how the additional substances or properties interact with physical substances and properties, and both of course have problems with ontological parsimony (Occam’s Razor).
In contrast to a substance or property, an aspect is a relational kind of thing. In Dual Aspect theory, a conscious state is interpreted as being based on the kind of relationship and entity has with itself, and the kind of interaction it has with itself. The physical is reinterpreted as a kind of interaction with and relation to the external. It is not clear whether this theory adds anything fundamentally new, ontologically, since most people will accept the existence of some kind of inner/outer distinction, although the distinction may be made to do more work in Dual Aspect theory. Reinterpreting the physical is a genuine third alternative to accepting (only) the physical, denying the physical, and suplementing the physical.
The more familiar kinds of dualism are substance and property dualism. Both take a physical ontology “as is” and add something extra, and both have problems with explaining how the additional substances or properties interact with physical substances and properties, and both of course have problems with ontological parsimony (Occam’s Razor).
In contrast to a substance or property, an aspect is a relational kind of thing. In Dual Aspect theory, a conscious state is interpreted as being based on the kind of relationship and entity has with itself, and the kind of interaction it has with itself. The physical is reinterpreted as a kind of interaction with and relation to the external. It is not clear whether this theory adds anything fundamentally new, ontologically, since most people will accept the existence of some kind of inner/outer distinction, although the distinction may be made to do more work in Dual Aspect theory. Reinterpreting the physical is a genuine third alternative to accepting (only) the physical, denying the physical, and suplemmenting the physical.