The Problem of Phenomenal Consciousness
Buddhist Physicalism? August 5, 2025 DOI: 10.1093/9780197799697.003.0008 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the subject-object dichotomy is an illusion, and qualia are artifacts of deploying a useful fiction, thereby resolving the hard problem of consciousness from a Buddhist perspective. |
Abstract
Abstract This chapter addresses the “hard problem” of phenomenal consciousness that confronts any form of physicalism. After describing the problem and discussing some common approaches that physicalists have offered in response, it attempts to develop a specifically Buddhist approach to its resolution. This turns on the key point that first-person application of theory of mind involves the development of inner speech, something that fosters a kind of mirroring of the subject’s representational system. Since a mirror image is an illusory appearance, this reveals the subject-object dichotomy to be a kind of illusion. Qualia are thereby shown to be artifacts of the deployment of a sort of useful fiction.