Mind and Cosmos:Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature Is Almost Certainly False

Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature Is Almost Certainly False

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Other Sciences, Philosophy & Social Aspects, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science
Cover of the book Mind and Cosmos:Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature Is Almost Certainly False by Thomas Nagel, Oxford University Press, USA
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Thomas Nagel ISBN: 9780199977192
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA Publication: August 29, 2012
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Thomas Nagel
ISBN: 9780199977192
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Publication: August 29, 2012
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

The modern materialist approach to life has conspicuously failed to explain such central mind-related features of our world as consciousness, intentionality, meaning, and value. This failure to account for something so integral to nature as mind, argues philosopher Thomas Nagel, is a major problem, threatening to unravel the entire naturalistic world picture, extending to biology, evolutionary theory, and cosmology. Since minds are features of biological systems that have developed through evolution, the standard materialist version of evolutionary biology is fundamentally incomplete. And the cosmological history that led to the origin of life and the coming into existence of the conditions for evolution cannot be a merely materialist history, either. An adequate conception of nature would have to explain the appearance in the universe of materially irreducible conscious minds, as such. Nagel's skepticism is not based on religious belief or on a belief in any definite alternative. In Mind and Cosmos, he does suggest that if the materialist account is wrong, then principles of a different kind may also be at work in the history of nature, principles of the growth of order that are in their logical form teleological rather than mechanistic. In spite of the great achievements of the physical sciences, reductive materialism is a world view ripe for displacement. Nagel shows that to recognize its limits is the first step in looking for alternatives, or at least in being open to their possibility.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The modern materialist approach to life has conspicuously failed to explain such central mind-related features of our world as consciousness, intentionality, meaning, and value. This failure to account for something so integral to nature as mind, argues philosopher Thomas Nagel, is a major problem, threatening to unravel the entire naturalistic world picture, extending to biology, evolutionary theory, and cosmology. Since minds are features of biological systems that have developed through evolution, the standard materialist version of evolutionary biology is fundamentally incomplete. And the cosmological history that led to the origin of life and the coming into existence of the conditions for evolution cannot be a merely materialist history, either. An adequate conception of nature would have to explain the appearance in the universe of materially irreducible conscious minds, as such. Nagel's skepticism is not based on religious belief or on a belief in any definite alternative. In Mind and Cosmos, he does suggest that if the materialist account is wrong, then principles of a different kind may also be at work in the history of nature, principles of the growth of order that are in their logical form teleological rather than mechanistic. In spite of the great achievements of the physical sciences, reductive materialism is a world view ripe for displacement. Nagel shows that to recognize its limits is the first step in looking for alternatives, or at least in being open to their possibility.

More books from Oxford University Press, USA

Cover of the book Western Muslims and the Future of Islam by Thomas Nagel
Cover of the book A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by Thomas Nagel
Cover of the book Twelve Examples Of Illusion by Thomas Nagel
Cover of the book Mathematical Thought From Ancient to Modern Times : Volume 2 by Thomas Nagel
Cover of the book Disciples of All Nations:Pillars of World Christianity by Thomas Nagel
Cover of the book Apocalyptic AI:Visions of Heaven in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Virtual Reality by Thomas Nagel
Cover of the book The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri : Volume 3: Paradiso by Thomas Nagel
Cover of the book American Politics: A Very Short Introduction by Thomas Nagel
Cover of the book Qur'an and Woman:Rereading the Sacred Text from a Woman's Perspective by Thomas Nagel
Cover of the book Angst: Origins of Anxiety and Depression by Thomas Nagel
Cover of the book Lone Star Lawmen : The Second Century of the Texas Rangers by Thomas Nagel
Cover of the book The Strange Career of Jim Crow by Thomas Nagel
Cover of the book Manhattan Projects : The Rise And Fall Of Urban Renewal In Cold War New York by Thomas Nagel
Cover of the book What I Believe by Thomas Nagel
Cover of the book What's Wrong with Homosexuality? by Thomas Nagel
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy