Whether mind reduces to matter, and what follows if it doesn't.
@TJump & Michael Egnor Debate MaterialismNeurosurgeon Michael Egnor argues against atheist TJump that metaphysical simplicity, qualia, abstract thought, intentionality, and free will show the mind cannot be material, while TJump counters that every immaterialist move is an argument from ignorance and every Thomistic argument can be mirrored by a mindless 'naturalistic pantheism'.Kane B, Michael Egnor, Unknown Audience Member B · Debate · 2h 43m· Jul 2023
An Atheist and a Theist Discuss Philosophy of Mind Dualism vs MonismAtheist philosopher Ben Watkins defends a Searle-style neutral monism (minds are real but inseparable from brains) against Arjuna's Hare Krishna substance dualism, with the whole dispute converging on the pairing problem — why is this mind attached to this body — which Arjuna answers with the soul as a situated occupant, like a driver in a car.Benjamin Watkins · Lecture · 1h 34m· May 2023
Vedanta Philosopher and Humanist Philosopher Discuss Mind, Physicalism and the Nature of SelfTranshumanist philosopher David Pearce defends non-materialist physicalism — quantum fields whose intrinsic nature is experiential — while Vedanta philosopher Akhandadhi Das argues consciousness, mind and matter are three distinct function-sets unified only at a deeper substrate, with the persistent experiencer as the datum physicalism cannot dissolve.Akhaṇḍādhi Dāsa, David Pearce · Lecture · 1h 27m· Dec 2022
If Non-water can Produce Water, Can Brains Produce Consiousness Response to @TJumpArjuna Gallagher answers TJump's claim that 'consciousness can't come from non-consciousness' is a composition fallacy by distinguishing weak from strong emergence: walls and water are fully explained by their causes (as physicist Stephen Barr's water-simulation example shows), whereas consciousness from brains would be a rabbit out of a hat unless consciousness is fundamental.Kane B, Stephen M. Barr · Lecture · 7m· Nov 2022
Discussion with David Papineau on Physicalism, Dualism and the Hard Problem of ConciousnessLeading physicalist philosopher David Papineau argues the case against dualism is empirical, not conceptual — science looked for mental forces in the brain and found none — while host Arjuna presses neuroscience anomalies, parapsychology data and quantum indeterminacy as openings for the Vedantic soul.David Papineau · Interview · 1h 59m· Jul 2022
Physicist and Vedanta Scholar Discuss What is MatterCatholic particle physicist Stephen M. Barr and Vaishnava Vedantin Akhandadhi Das argue that matter dissolves into mathematical structure and that physics cannot in principle capture consciousness, converging against physicalism before splitting over whether animal minds and reincarnation follow from that.Akhaṇḍādhi Dāsa, Stephen M. Barr · Lecture · 2h 39m· May 2022
Interfaith Discussion Vedanta vs Thomism, w Michael Egnor and Akhandadhi DasCatholic neurosurgeon Michael Egnor and Vaishnava theologian Akhandadhi Das, lightly moderated by Arjuna (Alex Gallagher), build a converging case that neuroscience itself — phrenology's failure, absent calculus seizures, split-brain conceptual unity, Penfield's volition experiments — refutes materialism, while mapping where Thomism and Vedanta genuinely diverge on the soul.Akhaṇḍādhi Dāsa, Michael Egnor · Lecture · 2h 7m· May 2022
Is Materialism a Reasonable Worldview Two Mike's DebateNeurosurgeon Michael Egnor argues that materialism cannot even define matter and is refuted by split-brain research, the absence of intellectual seizures, and quantum mechanics, while lay materialist Mike Dufton defends materialism as a minimal-assumption epistemic stance and charges Egnor with the incredulity fallacy.Michael Egnor, Mike Dufton · Debate · 2h 3m· Jan 2022
Do Souls Exist Discussion with David Calton and Benjamin WatkinsBenjamin Watkins argues from five neuroscientific evidences that minds probably imply matter (his 'argument from physical minds' from neutral monism), while Hasidic dualist David Calton counters that laughter, joint attention, memory of a non-existent past, and karma are better explained by an immaterial soul controlling the body as its receiver.Benjamin Watkins, David Calton · Debate · 1h 55m· Dec 2021
Mark Solms & Michael Egnor Disucuss Materialism and NeuroscienceNeuropsychologist Mark Solms (dual-aspect monist, agnostic) and neurosurgeon Michael Egnor (Thomistic dualist, Christian) agree against mainstream neuroscience that consciousness does not reside in the cerebral cortex and that materialism is an unexamined and incoherent metaphysics enforced by academic cancel culture, disagreeing only on whether the underlying reality is Spinoza's impersonal God or a personal one.Mark Solms, Michael Egnor · Lecture · 1h 48m· Oct 2021
Materialism and the Nature of Consciousness Debate James Fodor vs Akhandadhi DasVedanta philosopher Akhandadhi Das argues against physicalist neuroscientist James Fodor that qualia and the unified experiencer are real functions no brain-only account can locate, while Fodor counters that anything beyond the brain is an ontological cost with zero explanatory payoff.Akhaṇḍādhi Dāsa, James Fodor · Debate · 1h 59m· Sep 2021
Nathan & Arjuna discuss Dualism, Reincarnation and moreArjuna (Hare Krishna host) and agnostic ex-Calvinist YouTuber Nathan of Digital Gnosis debate whether the soul is an ad hoc explanation, contesting near-death experiences, telepathy research, divine hiddenness, and ending with a negotiated six-month chanting experiment as an empirical test of Krishna consciousness.Nathan Ormond · Lecture · 2h 19m· Aug 2021
Michael Egnor Interview Problems for Materialism and Problems from MaterialismNeurosurgeon and Thomist Michael Egnor argues to Arjuna that materialism fails physics (causal closure is violated four ways), fails philosophy of mind (every materialist theory collapses), and fails neuroscience (split-brain, Penfield, Libet, NDEs all point to an immaterial intellect), concluding materialist neuroscience is ideology defended at any cost.Michael Egnor · Interview · 2h 16m· Jul 2021
Atheist Philosopher and Christian Neurosurgeon Debate Materialism Michael Egnor vs David PapineauThomistic dualist neurosurgeon Michael Egnor argues from logic, qualia, intentionality and seizure evidence that the intellect is immaterial, while physicalist David Papineau counters that causal closure leaves dualism nowhere to act and that positing soul-stuff merely relabels the mystery.David Papineau, Michael Egnor · Debate · 1h 5m· Jul 2021
Is the Existence of Consciousness Consistent with Physicalism Ben Watkins vs David CaltonAtheist philosopher Ben Watkins defends dual-aspect monism — consciousness is real and irreducible yet requires no second substance — against Hasidic dualist David Calton, who argues from a century of scientific failure and the consensus of the sages that consciousness cannot arise from matter.Benjamin Watkins, David Calton · Debate · 1h 58m· May 2021
The Hard Problem of Consciousness David Papineau & Akhandadhi DasPhysicalist philosopher David Papineau argues that conscious experiences simply are brain processes, dissolving the hard problem, while Vedanta scholar Akhandadhi Das counters that the format of qualia and substrate-level mind-matter interaction show consciousness is a distinct function that physicalism cannot accommodate.Akhaṇḍādhi Dāsa, David Papineau · Debate · 1h 21m· Apr 2021
Has Physics Done Away with God Dr. Stephen M BarrCatholic particle physicist Stephen Barr argues to Arjuna that physics fully explains everything non-sentient but consciousness, reason, and free will simply do not follow from the equations — and that since matter dissolves into mathematics, mind is the more plausible fundamental — before the two compare Catholic apostolic authority with Vaishnava disciplic succession.Stephen M. Barr · Lecture · 2h 32m· Feb 2021
The Mind Behind Atma Paradigm, a lecture series on consciousness & science with detailed metaphysicsInterviewed by Alex Gallagher about his Atma Paradigm lecture series, Vedanta philosopher Akhandadhi Das argues that physicalism is unacknowledged philosophy sold to the public in the name of science, and that non-temporal consciousness imposing information on matter is a scientifically explorable third alternative to both evolution and creationism.Akhaṇḍādhi Dāsa · Lecture · 2h 31m· Oct 2020
Josh Wulf and Arjuna carry on discussion following the debate with Aron RaWorking through audience questions after the Aron Ra debate, Arjuna argues consciousness is fundamental — via qualia, veridical NDEs, zombies and the quantum observer — while fellow devotee Josh Wulf pushes back from inside the tradition, holding that qualia is material (kshetra, not the knower) and that AI consciousness cannot be ruled out.Josh Wolfe · Lecture · 1h· Aug 2020
Is the Mind Material Aron Ra vs Josh Wulf (Sitapati)Hare Krishna software engineer Josh Wulf (Sitapati) and atheist activist Aron Ra debate whether the mind is material, and both concede the mind itself is — Wulf relocating the immaterial to the conscious observer (atma) required for quantum wave-function collapse, while Aron Ra counters that observer-dependence arguments only bite at the boundary of physics and self-destruct by devaluing all knowledge.Aron Ra, Josh Wolfe · Debate · 1h 22m· Aug 2020