The Mind-Body Problem

"If consciousness itself could be identified with some kind of physical state, the way would be open for a unified physical theory of mind and body, and therefore perhaps for a unified physical theory of the universe. But the reasons against a purely physical theory of consciousness are strong enough to make it seem likely that a physical theory of the whole of reality is impossible. Physical science has progressed by leaving the mind out of what it tries to explain, but there may be more to the world than can be understood by physical science."

– Thomas Nagel, What Does It All Mean? A Very Short Introduction To Philosophy, pp. 36–7

Materials for the session

This session is based on a chapter of Thomas Nagel's What Does It All Mean? A Very Short Introduction To Philosophy, which you can download along with a reading activity from the Philosophy Off Brick Lane (http://www.philosophyoffbricklane.com) website. You can also find some relevant podcasts there. Visit the Key Themes in Modern Philosophy (http://www.philosophyoffbricklane.com/#!key-themes/c3tn) page to access these and other materials.

How many people will there be and what will the classes be like?

There is maximum class-size of 12 people (or 13 including the teacher). Although the emphasis is on structured discussion, there are different ways of taking part in a conversation. You can come to this session talk about the chapter from Nagel's What Does It All Mean? and the other material for the session. Or if you're not sure what you want to say about it, you can come just to listen.

How much do classes cost?

For the first few meetups, attendees can pay what they think the class is worth (or nothing at all). In the future, the cost of the class will be £10 for two hours.

http://vimeo.com/106401097