David Chalmers
Australian-American philosopher known for the 'hard problem' of consciousness.
Most quoted
"No matter how much information we have about the brain's physical processes, there will always be a further question: Why is all this processing accompanied by an inner feel?"
— from The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory, 1996
"Panpsychism, the view that consciousness is a fundamental and ubiquitous property of the universe, is a serious contender in the search for a theory of consciousness."
— from Panpsychism and the Hard Problem, 2013
"The easy problems of consciousness are those that can be explained by computational or neural mechanisms. The hard problem is the problem of experience itself."
— from Facing Up to the Problem of Consciousness, 1995
All quotes by David Chalmers (100)
The idea of 'qualia' — the raw, subjective feels of experience — is central to the hard problem.
We should be open to the possibility that consciousness is a fundamental feature of reality, like space, time, and mass.
The hard problem is not just a problem for philosophers; it's a problem for anyone who wants to understand the mind.
The idea that consciousness is a 'user illusion' is a way of denying the very thing we are trying to explain.
The hard problem forces us to confront the limits of our current scientific paradigm.
The question of how physical stuff gives rise to subjective experience is the ultimate mystery.
We need to move beyond reductionism if we are to make progress on the hard problem.
The hard problem is not going away. We need to face it head-on.
The idea of a 'consciousness meter' is a fantasy, but it highlights the difficulty of measuring subjective experience.
The hard problem is a challenge to our understanding of the fundamental nature of reality.
The search for a theory of consciousness is a journey into the unknown.
The hard problem is not just about explaining what consciousness does, but what it is.
The idea that consciousness is a 'ghost in the machine' is a caricature, but it points to the difficulty of integrating mind and body.
The hard problem is a call for a more expansive and inclusive science.
We need to be humble in the face of consciousness. It is a profound mystery.
The hard problem is a reminder that there are limits to what we can explain with current scientific tools.
The idea of 'integrated information theory' is an interesting attempt to quantify consciousness, but it still faces the hard problem.
The hard problem is not a reason to give up on science, but a reason to expand our scientific horizons.
The search for consciousness is a search for meaning.
The hard problem is a philosophical problem that has profound implications for science.
Contemporaries of David Chalmers
Other Cognitive Sciences born within 50 years of David Chalmers (1966).