Uploaded January 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Title: The 21st Century Mind/Body Problem
Abstract: As reductive and non-reductive versions of physicalism increasingly converge, a new mind/body problem is emerging. This is the problem of relating the diversity and distribution of mind to the diversity and distribution of body. Empirical findings of flexible behavior in many non-human species compel us to individuate and classify mental types so that they can be mapped to phylogeny, and only subsequently (in theory) to types of brains, let alone “the” brain. I’ll explain the nature of this new mind/body problem and the challenges it presents, and sketch how these challenges may be addressed.
Title: The 21st Century Mind/Body Problem
Abstract: As reductive and non-reductive versions of physicalism increasingly converge, a new mind/body problem is emerging. This is the problem of relating the diversity and distribution of mind to the diversity and distribution of body. Empirical findings of flexible behavior in many non-human species compel us to individuate and classify mental types so that they can be mapped to phylogeny, and only subsequently (in theory) to types of brains, let alone “the” brain. I’ll explain the nature of this new mind/body problem and the challenges it presents, and sketch how these challenges may be addressed.
