The Mind-Body Problem

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PAGE				CONTENTS
1				Why this book?
	2				The mind-body problem is not a scientific problem but a philosophical one
	4				A better philosophical basis for posing the question is given
	5				The solution given here is precisely linked to physics
	8				Points of clarification
	9				Outline of book
11				PART I: The mind-body problem
13				Chapter 1 The problem
	13				The mind-body problem
	18				Experience
	21				Characterizing consciousness and experience
	22				Science as a human endeavour
	26				Objective physics
	27				Issues in the vicinity of consciousness
	28				The Hard Problem
	29				Physicalism
	31				Specific physicalist solutions to the mind-body problem
		32				(A) Mind does not exist
		34				(B) Illusionism
		34				(C) Epiphenomenalism
		36				(D) Identity theories
		40				(E) Emergence
		42				(F) Panpsychism
	44				Moving forward
45				Chapter 2 Philosophy
	45				What is philosophy?
	47				Analytic philosophy
		48				Critique of analytic philosophy
	51				Metaphysics
	52				Berkeley’s idealism
		53				Berkeley’s attack on matter
	55				Physicalism
		56				Problems of physicalism
	58				Criteria for comparing metaphysical systems
	61				Evaluating Berkeley’s idealism
	62				Evaluating standard physicalism
		63				Qualia non-realism
		63				Qualia realism
	68				Evaluating panpsychism
	71				Comparison Table
		72				Scoring how far each system meets these criteria
		73				Weighing the criteria
		74				Comparison
	74				A defence of metaphysics
	77				Introducing pan-idealism
		80				Pan-idealism and watering a plant
		80				Evaluating pan-idealism
81				PART II: Fundamental physics
83				Chapter 3 Classical physics
	83				Newtonian mechanics
		85				Newtonian space and time
		86				Inertial reference frames
	87				Thermodynamics
	88				Electrodynamics
	88				Special relativity
		90				Ad-hoc solutions
		91				Einstein’s concept of Special Relativity
		94				Key facts
		97				Minkowski space
		100				The geometry of spacetime
		104				Coordinates in Minkowski space
		108				Slices of simultaneity
		110				The Twins’ Paradox
		113				Solving problems
	114				General relativity
		115				Principle of equivalence
		115				Experimental verification
		117				Cosmological models
		118				Determinism
	118				Communalities
122				Chapter 4 Quantum mechanics
	122				What is quantum mechanics?
	123				How to begin?
		124				Tim Maudlin’s procedure
	125				Representative experiments and their results
		125				Young’s Slits experiments
		129				Basic spin experiments
		132				Interferometer experiments
	135				The quantum recipe: part I, maths
	142				The quantum recipe: part II, physics
		142				The wavefunction, ψ
		145				General measurements
		148				Planck’s Constant
		149				Schrödinger equation
		151				Classical energy
		152				About this mathematical notation
		153				Time evolution of the wavefunction
	156				The quantum recipe: part III the recipe itself
	157				Explaining Young’s Slits experiments
		158				Single slit experiment
		158				Double slits experiment
		159				‘Monitored’ double slits experiment
	162				Explaining basic spin experiments
		162				Spinors
		165				Spinors and the Stern-Gerlach apparatus
		166				First spin experiment
		167				Second spin experiment
		168				Fourth spin experiment
		168				Third spin experiment
		170				Physical meaning of spinors
	171				Explaining interferometer experiments
		171				First interferometer experiment
		172				Second interferometer experiment
		173				More about the physical meaning of spinors
	174				Further reading
175				Chapter 5 Copenhagen and entanglement
	177				The Copenhagen interpretation
	182				Niels Bohr and ‘complementarity’
	184				The mythological Einstein
	188				The Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen paper
		188				Objective reality and the aim of physical theory
		189				The correctness of quantum mechanics
		189				The completeness of a physical theory
		190				The completeness of quantum mechanics?
		191				The EPR locality postulate
		192				The argument of the EPR paper
		194				Some tricky maths: measuring momentum
		195				Element of reality for momentum
		195				Similar tricky maths: now measuring position
		195				Element of reality for position
		196				Concluding the EPR paper
		187				Comment on the EPR paper
	197				Bohr’s response to EPR
		200				Comments on Bohr’s experimental setup
		201				Conclusion of Bohr’s response to EPR
		201				Commentary on Bohr’s paper
	203				Schrödinger’s response to EPR
		203				The first (1935a) paper
		205				The follow-up (1936) paper
		206				The survey paper (1935b)
	209				Bohm’s response to EPR
		212				Bohm’s change of heart
	212				Bell’s inequality
	218				Experiments by Alain Aspect and others
	222				Conclusions we may draw about Aspect-type experiments
		223				Misconceived conclusions
	223				The misrepresentation of Einstein
226				Chapter 6 Interpretations of quantum mechanics
	226				The Copenhagen interpretation
		227				Niels Bohr
		227				Werner Heisenberg
		229				Rudolf Peierls
		232				John von Neumann
		234				The measurement problem
	237				The pilot-wave interpretation
		238				Key features
		339				Pilot-wave theory in practice
		240				Key examples
		243				Advantages
		244				Critiques
		246				References
	246				Many-worlds
		249				The probability problem
		251				Advantages and disadvantages
		251				References
	251				Ghirardi, Rimini and Weber
		252				Formalism
		253				Answers to questions
		255				Ontology
		255				GRWf
		256				GRWm
		258				The new physical constants τ and σ
		260				Stability of atoms
		261				Spin
		262				Bell’s-inequality experiments
		263				References for GRW
	264				Choosing an interpretation
267				PART III: Pan-idealism – a solution
269				Chapter 7 Physics and concrete reality
	269				Science and the universe
	270				Empirical reality versus concrete reality
	272				The substantive reality of concrete reality
		272				ESR leads towards irrealism
	273				Thin realism
	274				Tegmark’s ultra-thin realism
	275				Thick realism
		276				Concrete reality as noumenon
		276				Matter as the permanent possibility of being perceived
		277				Causal flux
	278				Intrinsic nature
		278				History
		279				Recent history
	282				Concrete reality characterised
		284				Is this characterisation of concrete reality reasonable?
		286				Is this characterisation necessary?
	287				Moving on
288				Chapter 8 Pan-idealism
	289				Pan-idealism characterised
		289				Assumptions about the physics of our universe (Pa-Pd)
		290				Assumptions about the omnipresence of mind (Pe-Ph)
		291				The assumption of pan-idealism (Pi)
	292				Taking pan-idealism seriously
	293				Variants of pan-idealism
		293				The contents of the universe (Pb)
		294				True individuals versus aggregates (Pb & Pc)
		294				Experients can exist in hierarchies (Ph)
		295				Are experients long-lived or transient?
	295				Pan-idealism’s unique mind-body problem
	296				Length in pan-idealism
		298				Identity
		298				The Moon and space
	299				Time in pan-idealism
	302				Other physical properties in pan-idealism
	303				Reducing physical causation to mental causation
	304				Causation in pan-idealist universes
	305				Objective physics
	306				The advantages of pan-idealism
	311				Some difficulties of pan-idealism
	312				Strawson’s pure panpsychism
		312				Strawson’s theory
		314				ESFD monism
		315				Rejecting ESFD monism
	317				Coming next
318				Chapter 9 Free will
	318				Compatibilism
	320				Robert Kane on libertarian free will
		323				Weighing up alternatives
		324				Wanton freedom
	325				Critique of Kane
		325				Kane’s theory does not, of itself, solve the mind­-body problem
		326				Are Alternative Possibilities consistent with physicalism?
		327				How do Self-Forming Actions get started?
	328				Pan-idealism and libertarian free will
	331				Arguments against libertarian free will
	336				Schrödinger on free will
340				Chapter 10 Our pan-idealist universe
	341				Recap of pan-idealism
	342				Recap of GRW
	343				Measurement in GRW
		343				Measuring devices
		345				Aside: Measurement in non-GRW interpretations
		346				Measurement in GRW
		349				Non-measuring devices
	351				The concept of macroscopic in GRW
	351				Identical particles, entanglement, and experients
		351				Fermions
		352				Identical fermions and entanglement
		356				Trivial entanglement is benign
		356				Bosons in brief
		358				Experients
	358				Introducing the pan-idealist GRW universe
	363				Agents
	364				The dynamics of the pan-idealist GRW universe
		367				Cosmic Time
		367				Process
		368				Cosmic time and general relativity
	369				The combination problem
		371				The credibility of such agents
	372				Philosophy contrasted with physics
	374				Assessment of pan-idealist GRW
		374				Advantages
		376				Neutral facts
		376				Limitations
	378				Pan-idealism and Penrose’s OR theory
381				Chapter 11 Concluding reflections
	381				Pan-idealism as a traditional metaphysical system
		382				Why my confidence?
	383				Traditional metaphysics
		383				Is traditional metaphysics dogmatic?
		386				Critiques of traditional metaphysical systems
	387				Metaphors
		387				“Inside” versus “outside”
		388				“First person” versus “Third person”
	389				A toy pan-idealist universe
	391				Intersubjective consilience in our universe
	392				Chalmers’ critique of maximal intersubjective consilience
	393				Is physicalism inevitable?
	395				Computers and consciousness
		396				Pan-idealism and human consciousness
		396				Pan-idealism and digital computers
		398				Pan-idealism and quantum computers
	405				Farewell
406				Bibliography
419				(Related Books)

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