Netzwerk Phänomenologische Metaphysik
173899

(2007) Axiomathes 17 (1).

Searle on the unity of the world

Daniel D. Novotny

pp. 41-51

According to mentalism some existing things are endowed with (subjectively) conscious minds. According to physicalism all existing things consist entirely of physical particles in fields of force. Searle holds that mentalism and physicalism are compatible and true—"the world is one". The aim of this paper is to show that Searle fails to make the compatibility between mentalism and physicalism intelligible. The paper has three parts: first, I criticize drawing an analogy between solidity and consciousness as macro-features of systems with micro-features. Second, I argue that Searle's defence of the ontological irreducibility of consciousness is terminologically confused and that his argument for the trivial nature of that irreducibility is unsuccessful. Third, I defend Nagel's argument for the causal irreducibility of conscious minds by answering some of Searle's objections to it.

Publication details

Full citation:

Novotny, D. D. (2007). Searle on the unity of the world. Axiomathes 17 (1), pp. 41-51.

This document is unfortunately not available for download at the moment.