Ep. 250 - Souls are the best response to the Mind-Body Problem w/Dr. Ralph Stefan Weir

Oct 12, 2023

Dr. Ralph Stefan Weir, an esteemed author known for his insights into the Mind-Body Problem and consciousness, delves into fascinating philosophical discussions. He explores substance dualism and critiques modern materialism, emphasizing the importance of the soul in contemporary discourse. The conversation navigates the complexities of consciousness, contrasting human experiences with AI, while also challenging notions of immortality through mind uploading. Weir's journey highlights the relevance of historical philosophies in understanding identity and existence.

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ADVICE

Define Terms Before Choosing Dualism

Do clarify what you mean by 'property' and 'substance' before endorsing property dualism.
Weir warns vague usage lets property dualists avoid commitments that yield substance dualism.

INSIGHT

Descartes As A Bundle-Theory Reader

Descartes can be read as a 'bundle theorist' in the sense that a substance is analyzed into a principal attribute plus modifications.
This avoids Locke's substratum and reframes substances as property-sums rather than bare particulars.

INSIGHT

Functional vs Phenomenal Consciousness

Chalmers' distinction separates functional consciousness (behavioral responses) from phenomenal consciousness (what it is like).
Weir treats functional consciousness as explanatorily distinct and not the heart of the hard problem.

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In episode 250 of the Parker's Pensées Podcast, I'm joined by Dr. Ralph Weir to discuss some of his work in his fantastic new book The Mind-Body Problem and Metaphysics: An Argument from Consciousness to Mental Substance. Grab the book here from my affiliate link to support the podcast: https://amzn.to/3FeHhLi Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYbTRurpFP5q4TpDD_P2JDA/join Join the Facebook group, Parker's Pensées Penseurs, here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/960471494536285/ If you like this podcast, then support it on Patreon for $3, $5 or more a month. Any amount helps, and for $5 you get a Parker's Pensées sticker and instant access to all the episode as I record them instead of waiting for their release date. Check it out here: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parkers_pensees If you want to give a one-time gift, you can give at my Paypal: https://paypal.me/ParkersPensees?locale.x=en_US Check out my merchandise at my Teespring store: https://teespring.com/stores/parkers-penses-merch Come talk with the Pensées community on Discord: dsc.gg/parkerspensees Sub to my Substack to read my thoughts on my episodes: https://parknotes.substack.com/ Check out my blog posts: https://parkersettecase.com/ Check out my Parker's Pensées YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYbTRurpFP5q4TpDD_P2JDA Check out my other YouTube channel on my frogs and turtles: https://www.youtube.com/c/ParkerSettecase Check me out on Twitter: https://twitter.com/trendsettercase 0:00 - How Dr. Weir got into substance dualism 8:12 - What counts as substance dualism? 11:08 - What is the Mind/Body Problem? 17:33 - Everyone Hates the Soul 20:11 - defining properties and substances 31:34 - Individuating our thoughts and Haecceities 37:30 - Phenomenal consciousness vs. functional consciousness 47:03 - Do you exist when you're not conscious? 50:45 - Artificial intelligence and machine consciousness 55:05 - Transhumanism and brain uploads 58:42 - philosophical zombies on substance dualism? 1:05:22- If philosophical zombies then immaterial selves 1:13:06 - back to defining substances