God and Phenomenal Consciousness A Novel Approach to Knowledge Arguments [Paperback]

This book bridges debates on the existence of God and on physicalism about phenomenal consciousness.This book bridges debates in the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of religion through its defence of non-theoretical physicalism. It proposes novel objections to Thomas Nagels and Frank Jacksons arguments against physicalism about consciousness by appealing to the authors own objections to certain arguments against the existence of God.This book bridges debates in the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of religion through its defence of non-theoretical physicalism. It proposes novel objections to Thomas Nagels and Frank Jacksons arguments against physicalism about consciousness by appealing to the authors own objections to certain arguments against the existence of God.In God and Phenomenal Consciousness, Yujin Nagasawa bridges debates in two distinct areas of philosophy: the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of religion. He proposes novel objections to Thomas Nagel's and Frank Jackson's well-known 'knowledge arguments' against the physicalist approach to phenomenal consciousness by utilizing his own objections to arguments against the existence of God. From the failure of these arguments, Nagasawa derives a unique metaphysical thesis, 'nontheoretical physicalism,' according to which although this world is entirely physical, there are physical facts that cannot be captured even by complete theories of the physical sciences.Part I. The Structure of Knowledge Arguments: 1. The structure of knowledge arguments; Part II. Knowledge Arguments in the Philosophy of Religion: 2. Grim's argument from knowledge de se; 3. The argument from concept possession (1); 4. The argument from concept possession (2); Part III. Knowledge Arguments in the Philosophy of Mind: 5. Nagel's bat argument; 6. Jackson's mary argument (1); 7. Jackson's mary argument (2); Part IV. Knowledge Arguments and Nontheoretical Physicalism: 8. Knowledge arguments and nontheoretical physilc