PHILOS 1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Property Dualism, Qualia, Mental Event
Document Summary
Physicalist argument from the causal closure of the physical + the exclusion principle. The thesis of causal closure of the physical is true. Events such as "wanting to raise your arm" (a mental event) cause events such as "raising your arm" (a physical event) A principle of causation, the exclusion principle forbids non-physical causes of physical phenomena. Therefore, even if there is a non-physical substance (like a soul) it cannot cause physical events. Therefore, if there is a mental substance, such thing has nothing to do with our mental life because our mental life is either part of physical phenomena or at least causally relevant to our physical life. Cartesian substance-dualism holds that the mental substance is causally responsible for our mental life. Bob"s belief that he wants to drink water t1 is e. Bob grabbing his water bottle at t2 is e1. For any events or facts that are casually relevant to e1, they must supervene on e.
