Uploaded December 2016 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
"Is the Mind Real? The Place of Thought in the Natural World"
University of Chicago Humanities Day
October 15, 2016
Jason Bridges, Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy
That we think about things, that we remember past events, that we perceive the world around us, that we feel pain and other sensations, that we have emotions, that we formulate plans and strive to put them into action—these are among the most quotidian, undeniable realities of human life as we know it and experience it. And yet philosophers and scientists have long struggled to find a place for such "mental" phenomena within a conception of the world as natural and un-mysterious. Why has this been seen as such a difficult task? Is this challenge genuine, or is it illusory? What would it take for us to achieve genuine satisfaction in our understanding of the place of the mind in the natural world? We will consider these questions against the backdrop of both contemporary and historical philosophical approaches to thought and consciousness.
If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to humanities@uchicago.edu.
"Is the Mind Real? The Place of Thought in the Natural World"
University of Chicago Humanities Day
October 15, 2016
Jason Bridges, Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy
That we think about things, that we remember past events, that we perceive the world around us, that we feel pain and other sensations, that we have emotions, that we formulate plans and strive to put them into action—these are among the most quotidian, undeniable realities of human life as we know it and experience it. And yet philosophers and scientists have long struggled to find a place for such "mental" phenomena within a conception of the world as natural and un-mysterious. Why has this been seen as such a difficult task? Is this challenge genuine, or is it illusory? What would it take for us to achieve genuine satisfaction in our understanding of the place of the mind in the natural world? We will consider these questions against the backdrop of both contemporary and historical philosophical approaches to thought and consciousness.
If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to humanities@uchicago.edu.
