[MaFLa] invitation to a philosophy talk - Philip Goff `How should a qualia freak do metaphysics?` 19 January, 4.30 PM

[Krisztina Biber]

The CEU Philosophy Department cordially invites you to a talk 
(as part of its Departmental Colloquium series)
by
Philip Goff  (University of Hertfordshire) 
on
How should a qualia freak do metaphysics?

Tuesday, 19 January, 2010, 4.30 PM, Zrinyi 14, Room 412


ABSTRACT

I define a ‘qualia freak’ as someone who holds: (A) that there are
phenomenal concepts, i.e. ways of thinking about conscious states – in
terms of what it’s like to be in them – which are independent of
causal role, (B) that phenomenal concepts are transparent, i.e. reveal
what it is to have the phenomenal properties they denote, (C) that we
possess certain phenomenal concepts such that there is no epistemic
possibility that those concepts are not instantiated. I think a sizeable
minority of analytic philosophers count as ‘qualia freaks’ under
this definition. In this paper I argue/point out that qualia freaks can
and should use conceptual analysis of phenomenal concepts as a solid
foundation for metaphysical enquiry. The conjunction of (A), (B) and (C)
entails that conceptual analysis of phenomenal concepts gets us all the
way to reality: we can know a priori what phenomenal concepts demand of
reality, and we are certain that such demands are satisfied. I go to
show how this method can help us make progress on various metaphysical
questions.


Kriszta Biber
Department Coordinator
Philosophy Department
Tel: 36-1-327-3806
Fax: 36-1-327-3072
E-mail: biberk at ceu.hu
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