Dualism in the Twenty-First Century

Mind-body dualism underwent a renaissance in the last part of the twentieth century. Several arguments challenged the capacity of physicalism to accommodate mental phenomena, especially conscious experience. Dualism was widely considered the leading alternative. Since then, sophisticated responses to arguments against physicalism have been developed, and nonphysicalist views other than dualism, including idealism and Russellian monism have received renewed interest. This conference will examine the prospects for dualism in the twenty-first century in light of the latest research, including the arguments for and against dualism; the relative merits of dualism, and other nonphysicalist positions in the metaphysics of mind; and the relationship between dualism and wider issues in philosophy.