. The simplest definition of reductionism is this: If x reduces to y, then it can in a relevantly strong sense be explained in terms of y. --source Ex...
I generally prefer to use "evidence" in the broadest sense: data (excluding nothing). I specifically referred to empirical evidence (data that is obta...
Physicalism is the theory that everything that exists, is composed of physical things, and that they act and assemble entirely due to physical forces ...
Chemistry provides a more useful explanation of interactions between atoms and molecules associated with chemical bonds than does quantum field theory...
I think it's unlikely that there are other intelligent life forms near enough to us, for them to impact us. But we clearly have different perspectives...
I agree. Most of mental life is better considered from completely different perspectives. My issue is specifically with ontology: what actually exists...
I assume you're referring to philosophy of mind issues. Physicalism can account for a good bit, but (as I've acknowledged) not everything. So what DOE...
Yes, with the qualifications I described. If you believe I'm wrong, then please disabuse me. How can we know anything about aspects of reality that ca...
Our activities are concentrated around one out of the 10^23 stars in the observable universe, during a period of maybe 1 million years, in a universe ...
I'll clarify. I think one could justifiably claim there is something "nonphysical" involved, but I also think one could justifiably deny it. Philosoph...
I actually prefer to avoid referring to "the mind" as an object. But it seems uncontroversial to acknowledge that we engage in a set of processes/beha...
A variety of ideas HAVE been proposed (panpsychism, dualism, property dualism...),so how can we learn which is correct? How do we know the correct ans...
Give me a few examples of recent Democratic Presidents flouting or undermining rule of law. I don't recall any court orders being violated, nor anyone...
How does a mysterious/unknowable unphysical aspect of mind help us understand our nature or that of the universe? Certainly, it opens up possibilities...
As you said:" it is indispensable for the very possibility of inquiry". But given that there is mind and inquiry is possible, we can set this backgrou...
The majority of the population doesn't care about (what can be characterized as) legal technicalities, they simply want action that achieves the resul...
My point was simply that our applying "syllogistic logic" is consistent with physical mechanism, as you seemed to be suggesting. I have not argued tha...
Yes, but the process of developing an intention is consistent with physical activity. Peter Tse has proposed a model ("criterial causation") of neuron...
Indeed you have, and I have previously acknowledged that your criticisms provide a good basis to believe there is some non-physical aspect to mind. So...
So...you make the unwarranted assumption that I won't. What I would need would be reasoning to support an alternative. A couple months ago, you said: ...
You're right about that. He's executing Project 2025 to create a MAGA "deep state". People like Stephen Miller are the real strategists, and they know...
I don't assume a master plan - he's not that smart. I think the goal is to stoke his ego. He's playing to his supporters, who perceive him as a tough ...
My prediction: he will not send troops to a city, like Chicago, because that would be a blatant violation of the Posse Comitatus Act. He can, and will...
The meaning of "Metaphysics" has broadened: "One might almost say that in the seventeenth century metaphysics began to be a catch-all category, a repo...
No. I said IBEs are usually the best we can do. Whether or not they constitute knowledge is irrelevant to my point. Here are some questions about whic...
And yet, physicalism does comprise a comprehensive metaphysics. My eyes are wide open: I recognize that it's imperfect; I want to understand it's weak...
Law realism works well with physicalism, but it doesn't seem dependent on physicalism being true. The notion that there exist laws of nature seems (to...
The damage to the DOJ is also concerning. For that matter, Trump is endeavoring to hire only MAGAs for all government jobs: "...questions, outlined un...
What's wrong with that? It's a metaphysical hypothesis with broad explanatory scope, and consistent with the success of science. You're conflating law...
IMO, the Law Realists improved upon this by proposing that laws of nature entail a necessitation. They define a law of nature as a causal relation bet...
Immunity applies to any acts that are part of his official duties. For example, he can't be prosecuted for illegally firing people, illegally withhold...
No, it's not. Trump is immune. Even before SCOTUS established this (and before they became corrupted), the DOJ Office of Legal Counsel had determined ...
Here's a classic syllogism in philosophy: 1. All men are moral 2. Socrates is a man 3. Therefore Socrates is mortal The conclusion does not establish ...
Yes, it did. Let me be clear: the sources did not say (nor did I claim) that all beliefs are knowledge. Rather, both sources are saying that knowledge...
You're wrong - in terms of standard philosophical discourse. I provided the definition from the Blackwell Dictionary of Western Philosophy that catego...
If telepathy is real, why wouldn't it be physical, given that both sender and receiver are physical? To assume there's something nonphysical means the...
Perhaps there was a telepathic event as the man was dying, that planted the words in your mind. Or perhaps you received it telepathically from his wif...
You seem to be suggesting that our memories could be copied to another form and re-attached to our souls after death. Sure, this is logically possible...
The medical evidence demonstrates that memories are "stored" (in some sense) in the brain. Disease and physical trauma can result in memory loss. So e...
I agree that the question of an afterlife is more relevant than the existence of a God. The thought of an afterlife is certainly appealing, but wishfu...
Consider 2 scenarios: 1) deism is true: a "God" created the universe, but is indifferent to everything that occurs in it. There is no afterlife. 2) na...
There are a variety of interpretations of QM, and it seems unlikely that it will ever be possible to verify which one is correct. That seems a backgro...
Can we agree that only one possible world actually exists (the actual world)? In that case, your set includes "things" that do not exist, never have e...
The term also normalizes/de-stygamtizes it. Somewhat. That is both good and bad. It's good we're finally accepting that the sex trade will always be w...
Why does it matter if a "God" exists? A religious person would point to the promise of eternal life. That requires a God of religion: one requiring wo...
My semantics is standard in epistemology Here's what the Blackwell Dictionary of Western Philosophy says: Starting from Plato’s dialogue Theaetetus, k...
What do you regard as the necessary and sufficient conditions (or properties) for being you? I suggest that this is a central issue in the transporter...
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