In their second Science Salon conversation Michael Shermer and Colin McGinn consider the broader sweep of philosophy after their first encounter in which they focused on consciousness, free will, and God. In this dialogue they review some of the paradoxes and puzzles of philosophy, pseudo-questions, realism v. antirealism, how to deal with unknown unknowns, immortality and the nature of the self and soul, and how McGinn and Daniel Dennett differ in their positions on mysterianism. Another hard-hitting and illuminating conversation.
If you missed it, listen to part 1 of this dialogue with Colin McGinn: Mysterianism, Consciousness, Free Will, and God (Science Salon # 29). You may also wish to read McGinn’s illuminating thought experiment essay “What is it like to be a human?” which was written to help clarify what, exactly, Thomas Nagel meant in his famous paper “What Is It Like to be a Bat?”
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This remote Science Salon was recorded on July 20, 2018.
This episode was released on August 21, 2018.
