Knowledge First Philosophy of Mind Conference

Contemporary philosophy of mind has been dominated by debates in the metaphysics of mind: What is the nature of the mental? How does the mental relate to the physical? Can the mental be reduced to the physical? These are all questions about the metaphysics of mind, and they are at the centre of philosophical theorising about the mind. There are also debates in the epistemology of mind, about how we know our own minds, and about how we know the minds of others. But these are often conducted in isolation from debates in the metaphysics of mind, and those who are interested in the latter often proceed as though the epistemology of mind is irrelevant; or at least an issue to be sorted out later, once we’re clear on the nature of the objects of our knowledge.  

Yet many other debates in philosophy have recognised that the epistemology of a particular domain may set important constraints on the metaphysics of that domain. This conference will pursue that project by exploring how philosophical reflection on questions in the epistemology of mind can contribute to our understanding of the traditional topics in philosophy of mind.  The conference will examine the implications that an epistemology-centred approach might have for developing a non-reductive metaphysics of mind.    

The conference is part of the Knowledge-First Philosophy of Mind Project, which is sponsored by the New Directions in the Study of Mind Project, and is also funded by the Oxford University John Fell Fund.

To register for the conference, please fill out the form at http://kfirstphilmind.weebly.com/conference-information-and-registration.html