Particle physics and the conscious mind: debating Almada’s optimism
Aufklärung October 12, 2021 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.18012/arf.2016.42250 via DOAJ
Summary
This note reviews Almada's ongoing project to explain how conscious minds emerge from the basic components of the physical world. It provides an overview of his approach, challenges his optimism by raising the hard problem of consciousness, and argues that his research can advance through a coherent conceptual account of emergence.
Study at a glance
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Almada's approach to explaining the emergence of conscious mind from physical components can be advanced by a coherent conceptual account of emergence. |
Abstract
Beginning with a study of the basic components of the physical world, Almada is developing an explanation of the emergence of the conscious mind. In order to recognize and publicize this enterprise, which is not yet finished, this note (i) offers an overview of Almada’s approach; (ii) challenges his optimism with the well-known hard problem of consciousness; and (iii) argues that his research can be pushed ahead by a coherent conceptual account of emergence.