Imagine a world where human beings weren’t susceptible to diseases, where we were all strong and smart, where we couldn’t feel pain and could be put in a state of ecstasy due to things which today produce only mild excitement. Imagine a world where human beings could fly of their own volition, where we have…

Cognitive Philosophy is excited to host the January 9th edition of the Philosophers’ Carnival! The Philosophers’ Carnival is a roaming showcase for the best philosophy blog posts of each month. The entries in this edition span topics in mind, agency, ethics, language and more. Enjoy the show!

On January 9th, Cognitive Philosophy will be hosting the Philosophers’ Carnival, a roaming showcase of the best philosophical blog posts from the previous three weeks. The Carnival is put together through submissions, but you do not have to be the author of a blog post to submit one.  More info about the Carnival and submission guidelines…

Implicit memory is normally thought of as a type of memory where past experiences influence current thought and behavior, but without conscious awareness of those previous experiences. How does this work? Is there a “thing” in the brain we can point to and say “this is an implicit memory?” And is “memory” even the best…

Some people say you should live without any ties to material possessions, that material goods replace the value of real valuable experiences in life. But material possessions interact causally with our conscious states, themselves causing us to have certain experiences, and allowing for interactions not possible without them. Using the role of nostalgic items in our lives, I discuss some interesting relationships between memory and the environment, and memory and consciousness.

Is it possible to behave in such way that you’re not being yourself? What is your true self? Your ingrained desires or your explicit values and commitments? And in a world where behavior and personality arise from neurophysiology, do we even still have room for the notion of a self?