Key Takeaways
1. The Mind-Body Problem Extends to the Cosmos
The aim of this book is to argue that the mind-body problem is not just a local problem, having to do with the relation between mind, brain, and behavior in living animal organisms, but that it invades our understanding of the entire cosmos and its history.
Beyond Localized Issue. The traditional mind-body problem, concerning the relationship between mental states and physical processes in individual organisms, is not merely a localized issue. Instead, it has far-reaching implications that affect our understanding of the entire cosmos and its history. This perspective suggests that the problem is not confined to the philosophy of mind but extends to cosmology and the foundations of science.
Reconsidering Scientific Knowledge. Philosophy should investigate the limits of even the most successful scientific knowledge. We should resist the temptation to assume that our current tools are sufficient to understand the universe as a whole. Recognizing these limits may eventually lead to the discovery of new forms of scientific understanding.
Challenging Reductionism. The author targets a comprehensive world picture extrapolated from biology, chemistry, and physics, which postulates a hierarchical relation among these sciences and the completeness of explaining everything through their unification. This reductive materialism is widely assumed to be the only serious possibility, but the author argues against it.
2. Materialist Neo-Darwinism Is Likely False
My target is a comprehensive, speculative world picture that is reached by extrapolation from some of the discoveries of biology, chemistry, and physics—a particular naturalistic Weltanschauung that postulates a hierarchical relation among the subjects of those sciences, and the completeness in principle of an explanation of everything in the universe through their unification.
Incredulity to Reductionism. The author defends the untutored reaction of incredulity to the reductionist neo-Darwinian account of the origin and evolution of life. It seems implausible that life as we know it is the result of a sequence of physical accidents together with natural selection. This skepticism is not based on religious belief but on the belief that the available scientific evidence does not rationally require us to subordinate common sense.
Problems with Probability. There are significant problems of probability that are not taken seriously enough, both with respect to the evolution of life forms through accidental mutation and natural selection and with respect to the formation from dead matter of physical systems capable of such evolution. The more we learn about the intricacy of the genetic code, the harder these problems seem.
Challenging the Consensus. The prevailing doctrine—that the appearance of life from dead matter and its evolution through accidental mutation and natural selection to its present forms has involved nothing but the operation of physical law—cannot be regarded as unassailable. It is an assumption governing the scientific project rather than a well-confirmed scientific hypothesis.
3. Antireductionism Reveals Limits of Physical Sciences
If reduction fails in some respect, this reveals a limit to the reach of the physical sciences, which must therefore be supplemented by something else to account for the missing elements.
Beyond Physical Explanation. Antireductionist arguments suggest that there are some things that the physical sciences alone cannot fully account for. Other forms of understanding may be needed, or perhaps there is more to reality than even the most fully developed physics can describe. This reveals a limit to the reach of the physical sciences.
Mind as Central. If the mental is not itself merely physical, it cannot be fully explained by physical science. It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that those aspects of our physical constitution that bring with them the mental cannot be fully explained by physical science either. The possibility opens up of a pervasive conception of the natural order very different from materialism—one that makes mind central, rather than a side effect of physical law.
Need for Comprehensive Alternative. The lack of any comprehensive alternative drives the various reductionist programs about mind, value, and meaning, in spite of their inherent implausibility. A genuine alternative to the reductionist program would require an account of how mind and everything that goes with it is inherent in the universe.
4. Consciousness Is Irreducible and Fundamental
Consciousness is the most conspicuous obstacle to a comprehensive naturalism that relies only on the resources of physical science.
Consciousness as an Obstacle. Consciousness is the most conspicuous obstacle to a comprehensive naturalism that relies only on the resources of physical science. The existence of consciousness seems to imply that the physical description of the universe, in spite of its richness and explanatory power, is only part of the truth.
Failure of Reductionism. The multiple dead ends in the forward march of materialism suggest that the Ψ/Φ dualism introduced at the birth of modern science may be harder to get out of than many people have imagined. Conscious subjects and their mental lives are inescapable components of reality not describable by the physical sciences.
Need for Conceptual Revolution. The mind-body problem is difficult enough that we should be suspicious of attempts to solve it with the concepts and methods developed to account for very different kinds of things. Theoretical progress in this area will require a major conceptual revolution at least as radical as relativity theory.
5. Evolutionary Naturalism Undermines Reason
Evolutionary naturalism implies that we shouldn’t take any of our convictions seriously, including the scientific world picture on which evolutionary naturalism itself depends.
Undermining Reliability. Evolutionary naturalism provides an account of our capacities that undermines their reliability, and in doing so undermines itself. Mechanisms of belief formation that have selective advantage in the everyday struggle for existence do not warrant our confidence in the construction of theoretical accounts of the world as a whole.
Moral Realism and Evolution. An evolutionary self-understanding would almost certainly require us to give up moral realism—the natural conviction that our moral judgments are true or false independent of our beliefs. Evolutionary naturalism implies that we shouldn’t take any of our convictions seriously, including the scientific world picture on which evolutionary naturalism itself depends.
Authority of Reason. The evolutionary story leaves the authority of reason in a much weaker position. This is even more clearly true of our moral and other normative capacities—on which we often rely to correct our instincts.
6. Value Realism Challenges Naturalistic Explanations
Realism interprets them as the result of a process of discovery, starting from initial appearances of value that are comparable to perceptual beliefs and moving (we hope) toward a better understanding of how we should live.
Value Judgments and Motivation. The problem of the place of value in the natural world includes but goes beyond the problems of the place of consciousness and of cognition in general, because it has to do specifically with the practical domain—the control and assessment of conduct. It is clear that the existence of value and our response to it depend on consciousness and cognition.
Realism vs. Subjectivism. The dispute between realism and subjectivism is not about the contents of the universe. It is a dispute about the order of normative explanation. Realists believe that moral and other evaluative judgments can often be explained by more general or basic evaluative truths, together with the facts that bring them into play.
Incompatibility with Darwinism. The author agrees with Sharon Street’s position that moral realism is incompatible with a Darwinian account of the evolutionary influence on our faculties of moral and evaluative judgment. Since moral realism is true, a Darwinian account of the motives underlying moral judgment must be false, in spite of the scientific consensus in its favor.
7. Teleology Offers a Potential Resolution
I believe that teleology is a naturalistic alternative that is distinct from all three of the other candidate explanations: chance, creationism, and directionless physical law.
Teleology as a Naturalistic Alternative. Teleology is a naturalistic alternative that is distinct from chance, creationism, and directionless physical law. To avoid the mistake that White finds in the hypothesis of nonintentional bias, teleology would have to be restrictive in what it makes likely, but without depending on intentions or motives.
Teleological Laws. Teleology would mean that some natural laws, unlike all the basic scientific laws discovered so far, are temporally historical in their operation. The laws of physics are all equations specifying universal relations that hold at every time and place among mathematically specifiable quantities.
Organizational and Developmental Principles. A naturalistic teleology would mean that organizational and developmental principles of this kind are an irreducible part of the natural order, and not the result of intentional or purposive influence by anyone.
8. The Universe Is Gradually Waking Up
Each of our lives is a part of the lengthy process of the universe gradually waking up and becoming aware of itself.
Cognitive Shift. The great cognitive shift is an expansion of consciousness from the perspectival form contained in the lives of particular creatures to an objective, world-encompassing form that exists both individually and intersubjectively. It was originally a biological evolutionary process, and in our species it has become a collective cultural process as well.
Part of a Larger Process. Each of our lives is a part of the lengthy process of the universe gradually waking up and becoming aware of itself. This perspective emphasizes the interconnectedness of individual consciousness and the larger cosmic process.
Beyond Materialism. To understand our questions and judgments about values and reasons realistically, we must reject the idea that they result from the operation of faculties that have been formed from scratch by chance plus natural selection, or that are incidental side effects of natural selection, or are products of genetic drift.
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FAQ
What's "Mind & Cosmos" about?
- Challenging Materialism: "Mind & Cosmos" by Thomas Nagel argues against the materialist neo-Darwinian conception of nature, suggesting it is almost certainly false.
- Mind-Body Problem: The book explores the mind-body problem, asserting that it is not just a local issue but one that affects our understanding of the entire cosmos.
- Limits of Science: Nagel questions the limits of contemporary scientific knowledge, particularly its ability to fully explain consciousness, cognition, and value.
- Alternative Conceptions: The book proposes that a new understanding of the natural order is needed, one that includes mind as a fundamental aspect of nature.
Why should I read "Mind & Cosmos"?
- Philosophical Inquiry: It offers a deep philosophical inquiry into the nature of consciousness and its place in the universe.
- Critique of Reductionism: The book provides a critical examination of reductionist approaches in science, particularly in biology and physics.
- Exploration of Alternatives: Nagel explores alternative conceptions of nature that could potentially integrate mind and consciousness into the natural order.
- Intellectual Challenge: It challenges widely held scientific and philosophical assumptions, encouraging readers to think critically about the nature of reality.
What are the key takeaways of "Mind & Cosmos"?
- Mind as Fundamental: Nagel argues that mind is a fundamental aspect of nature, not just a byproduct of physical processes.
- Limits of Neo-Darwinism: The book critiques the neo-Darwinian framework for its inability to fully account for consciousness and cognition.
- Need for New Theories: Nagel suggests that new theories are needed to explain the emergence of life and consciousness in the universe.
- Teleology and Value: The book discusses the possibility of teleological principles in nature, which could explain the existence of value and purpose.
What are the best quotes from "Mind & Cosmos" and what do they mean?
- "The world is an astonishing place...": This quote emphasizes the complexity and wonder of the universe, challenging the notion that current scientific tools are sufficient to understand it.
- "Consciousness is the most conspicuous obstacle...": Nagel highlights consciousness as a major challenge to materialist explanations, suggesting it requires a different kind of understanding.
- "The idea of teleology as part of the natural order...": This quote introduces the concept of teleology, proposing that natural laws might include principles that guide the development of life and consciousness.
- "The human will to believe is inexhaustible.": Nagel reflects on the persistent human desire to find meaning and understanding, even in the face of scientific uncertainty.
How does Thomas Nagel critique the materialist neo-Darwinian conception of nature?
- Inadequate Explanation: Nagel argues that the materialist neo-Darwinian framework fails to adequately explain consciousness, cognition, and value.
- Reductionism's Limits: He critiques the reductionist approach for its inability to account for the subjective nature of consciousness.
- Complexity of Life: Nagel questions the likelihood that life and consciousness could arise purely from physical processes and natural selection.
- Need for New Frameworks: He suggests that new frameworks are needed to integrate mind and consciousness into our understanding of the natural world.
What is Nagel's view on consciousness in "Mind & Cosmos"?
- Irreducibility: Nagel argues that consciousness is irreducible to physical processes and cannot be fully explained by current scientific theories.
- Subjective Experience: He emphasizes the subjective nature of consciousness, which poses a challenge to objective scientific explanations.
- Central to Nature: Nagel suggests that consciousness is a central aspect of nature, not just an accidental byproduct of evolution.
- Call for New Theories: He calls for new theories that can account for the emergence and nature of consciousness within the natural order.
How does "Mind & Cosmos" address the mind-body problem?
- Beyond Local Problem: Nagel argues that the mind-body problem is not just about the relationship between mind and brain but affects our understanding of the entire cosmos.
- Challenge to Physicalism: He challenges the physicalist view that everything about the mind can be explained by physical science.
- Need for Integration: Nagel suggests that a new understanding is needed that integrates mind as a fundamental aspect of the natural order.
- Philosophical Task: He views the investigation of the limits of scientific knowledge as a legitimate philosophical task, necessary for understanding the mind-body problem.
What does Nagel propose as an alternative to materialist reductionism?
- Neutral Monism: Nagel favors some form of neutral monism, which posits that mind and matter are two aspects of a more fundamental reality.
- Teleological Principles: He suggests the possibility of teleological principles in nature that guide the development of life and consciousness.
- Expanded Natural Order: Nagel calls for an expanded conception of the natural order that includes mind and consciousness as fundamental elements.
- Integration of Mind: He proposes that any new framework must integrate mind and consciousness into our understanding of the universe.
How does "Mind & Cosmos" explore the concept of teleology?
- Natural Teleology: Nagel explores the idea of natural teleology, where certain outcomes are favored by natural laws without the need for a designer.
- Value and Purpose: He suggests that teleological principles could explain the existence of value and purpose in the universe.
- Historical Explanation: Teleology could provide a historical explanation for the development of life and consciousness, beyond mere chance or necessity.
- Challenge to Science: This concept challenges the current scientific paradigm, which excludes teleological explanations from its framework.
What role does value play in Nagel's argument in "Mind & Cosmos"?
- Real Value: Nagel argues for the reality of value, suggesting that it is not merely a product of human responses but an objective aspect of the world.
- Challenge to Darwinism: He contends that Darwinian explanations cannot account for the existence of objective value and moral truths.
- Integration with Nature: Nagel suggests that an adequate understanding of the natural order must include an explanation of how value arises and is recognized.
- Teleological Implications: The existence of value may imply teleological principles in nature, guiding the development of life and consciousness.
How does Nagel address the concept of cognition in "Mind & Cosmos"?
- Beyond Physicalism: Nagel argues that cognition, like consciousness, cannot be fully explained by physical processes alone.
- Objective Truth: He emphasizes the capacity of human reason to discover objective truths about the world, which challenges reductionist explanations.
- Evolutionary Explanation: Nagel questions whether evolutionary theory can adequately explain the development of human cognitive capacities.
- Need for New Theories: He calls for new theories that can account for the emergence of reason and its role in understanding the universe.
What are the implications of "Mind & Cosmos" for the future of scientific inquiry?
- Limits of Current Science: Nagel highlights the limits of current scientific methods in explaining consciousness, cognition, and value.
- Call for New Paradigms: He suggests that new paradigms are needed that integrate mind and consciousness into the natural order.
- Philosophical Exploration: The book encourages philosophical exploration of the fundamental nature of reality, beyond the constraints of materialism.
- Challenge to Consensus: Nagel challenges the scientific consensus, advocating for a more open-minded approach to understanding the universe.
Review Summary
Mind and Cosmos by Thomas Nagel challenges materialist neo-Darwinism, arguing it fails to explain consciousness, reason, and value. Nagel proposes a teleological view of nature, suggesting the universe has an inherent tendency towards life and mind. While some praise Nagel's honesty and courage in questioning scientific orthodoxy, others criticize his lack of scientific expertise and evidence. The book sparked controversy due to Nagel's apparent sympathy for intelligent design arguments, despite his atheism. Reviewers are divided on the book's merits, with some finding it thought-provoking and others dismissing it as misguided.
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