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)
We should take seriously the possibility of extended minds.
The zombie argument undermines physicalism about consciousness.
Philosophy of mind is at the intersection of science and metaphysics.
To understand reality, we must confront the mystery of the self.
Simulation arguments challenge our notions of reality and existence.
Consciousness may be substrate-independent, realizable in silicon as well as carbon.
The easy problems will be solved, but the hard problem endures.
In the end, consciousness is about what matters most: our inner world.
Dualism isn't dead; it's evolving with new arguments.
The study of consciousness will transform neuroscience.
Phenomenal concepts explain why consciousness seems ineffable.
We live in an age where mind and machine are converging.
The hard problem is not a puzzle to be solved but a truth to be accepted.
Introspection reveals the irreducibility of experience.
Virtual worlds raise profound questions about authenticity and being.
Consciousness is the bridge between the physical and the phenomenal.
Philosophers must engage with science to make progress on mind.
The mystery of consciousness inspires awe and humility.
If zombies are conceivable, then consciousness is non-physical.
Our quest for understanding consciousness defines human curiosity.
Contemporaries of David Chalmers
Other Cognitive Sciences born within 50 years of David Chalmers (1966).