Discussion / Debate: The Mind Body Paradox & The Nature of Consciousness

Fight Club Itinerary- Wednesday June 4th

-A primer on the historical philosophical perspectives on mind & body
-Initial round table discussion
-Debate: Idealism vs. Materialism
-Debate: Dualism vs Non-Dualism
-Debate: Physicalism vs Panpsychism
-Closing commentary

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"Key Thinkers on the Mind-Body Debate"

René Descartes
🧭 Substance Dualism – mind and body as separate substances.
Baruch Spinoza
🌌 Neutral Monism – mind and body are two attributes of the same substance.
George Berkeley
🧠 Idealism – to be is to be perceived (esse est percipi).
David Chalmers
💡 Property Dualism / Naturalistic Dualism – mind has non-physical properties.
Daniel Dennett
🔬 Physicalist / Illusionist – consciousness is a brain-based illusion.
Patricia Churchland
🧬 Eliminative Materialism – mind is brain; folk psychology is outdated.
Galen Strawson
🌌 Panpsychist / Realist Idealist – consciousness is a fundamental feature of reality.
Thomas Nagel
🦇 Mystery Dualism / Anti-Reductionist – rejects reductionism without committing to idealism.
Immanuel Kant
🏛 Transcendental Idealism – mind imposes structure on experience.
Bernardo Kastrup
🌀 Analytic Idealism – reality is mental; mind-at-large underlies all.
Nagarjuna
🕉️ Madhyamaka Buddhism / Non-Dualism – all phenomena are empty of inherent existence.
Adi Shankara
🕊️ Advaita Vedanta / Spiritual Non-Dualism – only consciousness is ultimately real.
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Important❗- Entrance to the building is at 505 Pitt Street (the Central Station side of St Laurence Church).