Title | Reconsidering the Metaphysics of Science from the Inside Out |
Publication Type | Book Chapter |
Year of Publication | 2011 |
Authors | Schooler J.W., Hunt T., Schooler J.T. |
Editor | Walach H, Schmidt S, Jonas WB |
Book Title | Neuroscience, Consciousness and Spirituality |
Series Title | Studies in Neuroscience, Consciousness and Spirituality |
Volume | 1 |
Pagination | 157-174 |
Publisher | Springer Netherlands |
ISBN Number | 978-94-007-2078-7 |
Abstract | Material reductionism – the prevailing metaphysical view that reality can be understood entirely in terms of non-conscious physical stuff – is at odds with the existence of experience, the flow of time, and the privileged present. We propose an alternative scientifically-grounded metaphysical perspective that posits: (1) Consciousness represents a fundamental aspect of reality such that all material things enjoy some varying degree of consciousness (panpsychism); (2) nervous systems entail a nested hierarchy of distinct conscious observers; (3) both experience and the flow of time suggest the reality of a subjective realm of existence; (4) the flow of time suggests a process by which all observers collectively sample segments of continuous space/time at different rates, creating a composite of experienced moments of varying thickness; (5) the possibility that consciousness can influence the duration and selection of experienced moments affords a possible opportunity for genuine free will. Although speculative, these conjectures illustrate the type of alternative metaphysics that may be able to accommodate scientific observations without abandoning the self-evident facts that experience exists and time flows |
URL | http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2079-4_11 |
DOI | 10.1007/978-94-007-2079-4_11 |
Reconsidering the Metaphysics of Science from the Inside Out
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