Week 6 Friday Seminar on Searle Reading (to p. 111)

Q1 At the beginning of Ch. 2 (pp. 29-33) Searle discusses types of dualism and distinguishes substance dualism from property dualism. What is this distinction? Do you find either tempting? If so, is it because of the “powerful” insight that Searle mentions near the bottom of p. 33?

Q2 Examine the chart on p. 52. Discuss the various entries under Monism. What are the distinctions among them? Which, if any, do you find tempting? Which, if any, captures your notion of a “reductive” theory of mind?

Q3 Searle discusses “eliminative materialism” (often associated with the Churchlands) (p. 52ff). Review this approach as he describes it. Assess his arguments against it.

Q4 Chapter 3 contains a number of arguments against materialism. Focus on: 1. absent qualia, 2.spectrum inversion, 3. what is it like to be a bat?, 4. Frank Jackson: what Mary didn’t know, and 8. the conceivability of zombies. What are the arguments as Searle presents them? Which, if any, do you find most compelling? Assess Searle’s arguments against the “Materialist Answers” to these arguments (p. 66ff).

Q5 Searle claims that his “biological naturalism” provides a solution to the mind-body problem (p. 79ff). What is it? Does it succeed?

Q6 Examine Searle’s account of reduction (p 83ff). What is it? How does it relate to issues of reduction discussed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Is his account plausible?

Q7 Searle maintains that he has outlined a position that is neither dualist nor materialist (p. 88ff). Has he succeeded?

Q8. Searle offers a final “refutation of materialism and Dualism” which he summarizes at the end of chapter 4 (p 91ff). Has he convinced you? If so, why? If not, why not?

Q9. Searle embraces the neurobiological approach to consciousness as opposed to the other three philosophical approaches he considers (p. 105ff). How, if at all, does his approach seem to differ from that promoted by Churchland’s neurophilosophical approach in the reading for the Tuesday seminar?