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[palmer1984]

In terms of Philosophy of Mind, how would you describe your position

Comments

[cartesiandaemon]

I actually had a quite extended argument with Rachel's brother Jacob (who is a grad student or postdoc in Philosophy), although I'm sure it annoyed everyone at the dinner table we were talking round

[ciphergoth]

Under this classification, what sort of property captures the difference between a Bach CD and a David Bowie CD?

[cartesiandaemon]

How do you mean? I've no idea, I don't know the technical vocabulary, or even most of the concepts, at all.

[wight1984]

Interesting that there's no idealism option. I'd be an idealist before a materialist. I'd generally go with (what I like to think of as) a Kantian approach and throw myself in with Transcendental Idealism

[wight1984]

So, basically, Materialism as a model of the universe is brilliant, especially for scientific purposes. I'd consider it very accurate (there's a reason why we evolved to view the world that way).

I don't think it's true as a metaphysical position though.

The only things we arguably experience in itself, rather than via representation, is thought, feeling and direct sensory input (before it's organised into a framework). Those building blocks aren't material at all and the rest is mentally constructed.

[palmer1984]

Maybe transcendental idealism should have been an option, but I can't explain it in a sentence :).

[wight1984]

That's a fair point :oP

[emmy_mallow]

I'd say materialist but then I work in science with a bunch of scientists day in and day out. I expect I've adopted a more science based approach to the world as a result.

[ciphergoth]

"He's a reductionist" is another way of saying "He actually tries to understand things" :-)