A Simple Proof of Mind-Body Dualism
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Qualitative |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that qualitative properties of consciousness are fundamentally intrinsic and not fully describable in language, unlike relational properties, thereby supporting mind-body dualism. |
Abstract
This paper provides an elegant proof of mind-body dualism. I show, first, that all properties known to humankind, aside from qualitative properties of consciousness (and perhaps numerical properties), are fundamentally relational in nature. I then show that relational properties are, at least in principle, always fully describable in language. Finally, I point out that qualitative properties of consciousness are clearly not fully describable in ordinary language. Thus, qualitative properties of consciousness are fundamentally different than all other properties known to humankind: they are fundamentally intrinsic properties that stand outside of the realm of scientific inquiry.