Popper et le problème du corps et de l’âme
Philosophia Scientiæ January 19, 2026 Thomas Chabin
The mind-body problem remains a central topic in contemporary philosophy. Many philosophers of mind adopt a physicalist ontology, largely due to the perceived failure of Cartesian interactionist dualism. However, Karl Popper argues that physicalism faces insurmountable difficulties: it cannot provide a physicalist explanation of rationality, freedom, qualia, or the implementation of logical standards. According to Popper's work "The Self and its Brain," materialistic theories of mind tend to devolve into epiphenomenalism or eliminativism. Popper contends that these criticisms of materialism open the possibility of conceiving the mind as having a spiritual nature.