Book Review - JCS Journal of Consciousness Studies 8,8

Book Review - JCS Journal of Consciousness Studies 8,8

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JCS Journal of Consciousness Studies 8,8

# Journal of Consciousness Studies
**Volume 8, No. 8, August 2001**

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# Contents

## REFEREED PAPERS

**Edward Feser** [Abstract](Abstract)
Qualia: Irreducibly Subjective But Not Intrinsic
**Andrew Botterell** [Abstract](Abstract)
Conceiving What Is Not There
**David Holdcroft and Harry Lewis** [Abstract](Abstract)
Memes, Consciousness, Design and Social Practice

## CONTINUING DEBATE

**Benjamin Libet**
Consciousness, Free Action and the Brain: Commentary on John Searle's Article Benjamin Libet
**John R. Searle**
Further reply to Libet

## OBITUARY NOTICE

**Evan Thompson**
Francisco J. Varela (1946-2001) [full text](full%20text)

## CONFERENCE REPORT

**Bill Faw**
Whither Consciousness Studies? ASSC-5 Conference at Duke, June 27-30, 2001 [full text](full%20text)

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JCS Journal of Consciousness Studies 8,8

# BOOK REVIEWS

**Josh Weisberg**
Jerry Fodor, *The Mind Doesn't Work That Way*

**Chris Nunn**
Ralph D. Ellis & Natika Newton (ed.), *The Cauldron of Consciousness*

**Hans Dooremalen**
Scott Sturgeon, *Matters of Mind, Consciousness, Reason and Nature*

**Julian Paul Keenan**
Todd E. Feinberg, *Altered Egos*

**Bruno Deschenes**
Ciarán Benson, *The Cultural Psychology of Self, Place, Morality and Art in Human Worlds*

**Gary Fuhrman**
Radu Bogdan, *Minding Minds*

**Rahul Banerjee**
Yvonne P. Bouin, *Effects of Meditation on Respiration and the Temporal Lobes*

**Rüdiger Vaas**
Sangeetha Menon et al. (ed.), *Scientific and Philosophical Studies on Consciousness*

**John Dance**
Mary Midgley, *Science and Poetry*

**John McCrone**
G. Lynn Stephens & George Graham, *When Self-Consciousness Breaks*

**Peter W. Ross**
Michael Tye, *Color, Consciousness, and Content*

**Rocco J. Gennaro**
Jospeh Levine, *Purple Haze*

**Gary Schouborg**
Charles T. Tart, *Mind Science*

**Alexander Batthyany**
Daniel D. Hutto, *Beyond Physicalism*

**Imants Barušs**
Jeffrey Mishlove, *The PK Man*

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**Andrew Botterell**

## Conceiving What Is Not There

Abstract: In this paper I argue that certain so-called conceivability arguments fail to show that a currently popular version of physicalism in the philosophy of mind is false. Concentrating on an argument due to David Chalmers, I first argue that Chalmers misrepresents the relation between conceivability and possibility. I then argue that the intuition behind the conceivability of so-called zombie worlds can be accounted for without having to suppose that such worlds are genuinely conceivable. I conclude with some general remarks about the nature of conceivability.

Correspondence: Andrew Botterell, Department of Philosophy, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA 94928, USA. Email andrew.botterell@sonoma.edu

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**Edward Feser**

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JCS Journal of Consciousness Studies 8,8

# Qualia: Irreducibly Subjective but not Intrinsic

Abstract: The indirect realist theory of our knowledge of the external world which Russellian philosophers of mind have appealed to in formulating and defending a unique version of the mind-brain identity theory can be applied also to the formulation and defence of a unique version of functionalism. On the view that results, qualia turn out to be features which do not exist over and above the natural world (as materialistic functionalists and Russellians would agree), and are irreducibly subjective (as dualists and Russellians would agree) but are non-intrinsic properties of brain states (as functionalists would agree but Russellians would not). This view, which can be called 'Hayekian functionalism' (after F.A. Hayek, some of whose neglected writings inspired it), thus shows how we can combine the best insights of functionalism with the respect for the subjectivity of qualia which critics of functionalism claim it cannot accommodate.

Correspondence: Edward Feser, Department of Philosophy, Loyola Marymount University, 7900 Loyola Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045. Email: edwardfeser@hotmail.com

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**David Holdcroft and Harry Lewis**

# Memes, Consciousness, Design and Social Practice

It has been proposed by Dawkins, Dennett and others that memes are the units of cultural evolution. We here concentrate on Dennett's account because of the role it plays in his explanation of human consciousness -- which is our principal target. Memes are claimed to be replicators that work on Darwinian principles. But in what sense are they replicators, and in what way are they responsible for their own propagation? We argue that their ability to replicate themselves is severely limited, particularly in the case of language-borne memes. We contend, too, that the theory has unacceptable consequences for the role of design in accounting for cultural change, unless we seriously want to entertain the thought that design has as little relevance to cultural evolution as it does to the evolution of species. Finally, we argue that the account fails to do justice to the complexities of social practices.

Correspondence: David Holdcroft and Harry Lewis, School of Philosophy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. Email: PHLDH@arts-01.leeds.ac.uk

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