Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • NPR

    Mind, Matter And Materialism

    We all have metaphysical commitments, but when it comes to quantum physics and what it tell us about matter and materialism, we must work to distinguish solid ground from swamp, says Adam Frank.
    by Adam Frank Mar 26, 2017 5 minutes
    Illustration contains a transparency blends/gradients. Additional .aiCS6 file included. EPS 10 / traffic_analyzer / Getty Images

    Science and philosophy have a long, complicated history.

    Both are human endeavors aimed at articulating the nature of the world. But where the line between them lies depends a lot on perspective and history. Questions that once lay firmly in philosophy's domain have now fully entered the realm of science. Other issues which might seem fully covered by science retain open philosophical questions that either haunt or inform ongoing research (depending on one's viewpoint).

    One of the persistent fields where philosophy retains its purchase on science is the question of consciousness. What is it? What does it depend on? What, if anything, is it reducible to? These are long-standing questions that often elicit fierce partisan responses. That partisanship was, in part, why I recently wrote an essay concerning the question of mind, matter and the perspective known as materialism.. I'm following up, now, on some responses that essay engendered.

    You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

    More from NPR

    NPR2 min readCrime & Violence
    Guatemalan AG Raids Save The Children Office Over A Migrant Children Rights Complaint
    Prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche said that the complaint filed by an unidentified foreigner had raised serious concerns because it involved allegations of abuse of children.
    NPR3 min readAmerican Government
    Trump's Immunity Arguments And The Experiences Of The Justices Who Might Support It
    Five of the six conservatives spent much of their lives in the Beltway, working in the White House and Justice Department, seeing their administrations as targets of unfair harassment by Democrats.
    NPR7 min read
    As Bird Flu Spreads In Cows, Here Are 4 Big Questions Scientists Are Trying To Answer
    Health officials say there's very little risk to humans from the bird flu outbreak among dairy cattle, but there's still much they don't know. Here are four questions scientists are trying to answer.

    Related Books & Audiobooks