Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Ιστορίας της ΦιλοσοφίαςLibrary of the School of Philosophy
Author:
Tsagkaris Konstantinos
Supervisors info:
Στέλιος Βιρβιδάκης, Καθηγητής, ΕΚΠΑ/Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Φιλοσοφίας της Επιστήμης
Γεώργιος Αραμπατζής, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, ΕΚΠΑ/Τμήμα ΦΠΨ/Τομέας Φιλοσοφίας
Ευάγγελος Πρωτοπαπαδάκης, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής, ΕΚΠΑ/Τμήμα ΦΠΨ/Τομέας Φιλοσοφίας
Original Title:
Δωμάτιο με θέα: Η ανεπάρκεια του εξελικτικού νατουραλισμού κατά τον Thomas Nagel και η αντιμετώπισή της
Translated title:
Room with a view: The inadequacy of evolutionary naturalism according to Thomas Nagel
Summary:
This study deals with the effort to highlight the main claim of Thomas Nagel’s book Mind and Cosmos (M&C), that is, the assertion that evolutionary naturalism -though not completely wrong- is profoundly inadequate to formalize a coherent and integrated worldview, due to the fact that it ignores or fails to account for crucial aspects of our world, such as consciousness, cognition, values, etc. I understand his argument as an optimistic attempt to prove that we are not just closed Rooms let’s say, but Rooms with a view already from the very beginning. Nagel’s distrust of physicalism is not something new for him, but something that can be found throughout most of his previous books and articles. So, we can follow the course of his thought that culminates in M&C.
In fact, Nagel seeks to provide a plausible way out of the dead end of reductive naturalism. His solutions come in the forms of neutral monism or panpsychism and teleology. However, these are not final. He indicates that we could proceed to a Baconean like program, for a reformed science able to support and express this broadened and enriched worldview.
I focus my attention on in the various critical reviews and forms of reception of M&C, which testify the multifaceted character of the book and help us realize its many dimensions. Its interpretation depends to an important extent on which parts or aspects of Nagel’s work attract the attention of different reviewers according to their background and priorities.
As a conclusion, I try to bring out not only what I consider to be major negative elements and flaws of M&C, like his opinion about evolutionary biology (new-Darwinism) or the pessimism that he endorses regarding the future capabilities -or better- shortcomings of science but also positive aspects or future challenges to it.-
Main subject category:
Philosophy - Psychology
Keywords:
Thomas Nagel, neo-Darwinism, evolutionary naturalism, scientific naturalism, panpsychism, mind/body problem, philosophy of mind,, teleology, consciousness, reductionism, physicalism.
Number of references:
141
