Reading Philosophy

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  John Searle: Three Mistakes about Consciousness 25.06.2026 59dk

  John Searle considers three common philosophical claims about consciousness and finds them to be mistaken.Subjective direct access does not give us certainty about our own conscious states.There is no special faculty of introspection.Consciousness does not always entail self-consciousness.You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠
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  John Searle: Consciousness, Intentionality and Causation 04.06.2026 56dk

  John Searle introduces the notion of intentionality as a key link between consciousness and causation.You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠
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  John Searle: The Function of Consciousness 28.05.2026 54dk

  John Searle asks what the function of consciousness is, taking an evolutionary perspective. How or why has it evolved? And what might that tell us about its causal power?You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠
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  John Searle: The Danger of Epiphenomenalism 22.05.2026 1sa 11dk

  John Searle considers how his view differs from epiphenomenalism, which is the view that minds have no causal power over the body. He argues that such a view is not logically impossible, but believing that it is likely relies on several mistakes.You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠
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  John Searle: The Irreducibility of Consciousness 08.05.2026 26dk

  John Searle asks whether consciousness can be reduced to the underlying brain processes. Can we give a complete account of mental phenomena purely in terms biochemical activity? If not, why not?You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠
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  John Searle: The Mind-Body Problem 2 01.05.2026 43dk

  John Searle argues that we have to start with the facts we know and then we will be able to see how the mind fits in with science and metaphysics: consciousness is the higher level effect of lower level brain processes.You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠
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  John Searle: The Mind-Body Problem 1 24.04.2026 55dk

  John Searle considers the incompatibility of dualism and materialism and argues that we should reject both, because they are based on faulty concepts.You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠
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  John Searle: Three Features of Consciousness 25.03.2026 1sa 10dk

  John Searle lays out the three basic features that any theory of consciousness must account for. Conscious phenomena are inner, qualitative and ontologically subjective.Searle also rejects the idea that consciousness cannot be studied by science.You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠
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  John Searle: Justification for External Realism and Beyond Atheism 03.03.2026 51dk

  After considering, and dismissing, various arguments against External Realism, John Searle asks if there is a positive case for it.He also considers how religion might factor into these questions of metaphysics and comes to surprising and interesting conclusion.You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠
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  John Searle: Skepticism, Knowledge and Reality 17.02.2026 43dk

  John Searle analysis a typical argument for skepticism of the external world. We also discuss naive realism and some aspects of empiricism.You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠
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  John Searle: Four Challenges to Realism 06.02.2026 55dk

  John Searle looks at four arguments against realism (the mind-independent existence of the external world), from perspectivism to underdetermination. He concludes that they are all weak or based on fallacies.You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠
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  John Searle: Reality and Truth 23.01.2026 1sa

  John Searle sets out the default positions of reality and truth, namely external realism (there is a mind-independent world) and the correspondence theory of truth.He muses about why so many influential philosophers have been drawn to challenge these basic assumptions. Maybe it's the will to power, or maybe it is to put the humanities on the same footing as the natural sciences.You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠
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  John Searle: Philosophy and the Default Positions 09.01.2026 42dk

  John Searle tells us how philosophy fits into his project to defend the Enlightenment Vision.He sets out a number of Default Positions that, according to him, most humans intuitively hold, like the mind-independent existence of the external world. These are the positions typically attacked by famous philosophers. Searle believes the Default Positions are correct, so he will try to defend them, with one exception: Dualism.You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠
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  John Searle: Challenges to The Enlightnment Vision 04.01.2026 52dk

  Start of a new book: Mind, Language and Society by John Searle.Searle sets out his project, to defend the Enlightenment Vision against various 20th century anti-realist challenges like Freudian psychology, quantum mechanics, Russell's Paradox, Gödel's Incompleteness Theorems and Kuhn's view of Science.You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠
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  David Hume: Moral Philosophy 2, Justice 02.01.2026 35dk

  Thomas Hobbes and Bernard Mandeville believe that we act morally mainly out of self-interest. The only reason I don't break the law is because I don't want to get punished.Hume rejects this view in favour of an moral philosophy based on a mixture of natural and artificial virtues. He argues that humans are natural cooperators. But to be able to live peacefully together in larger societies we also need socially created virtues such as justice.You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠
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  David Hume: Moral Philosophy 1, Sentimentalism 22.12.2025 1sa 11dk

  David Hume takes on the moral debate of his day. He argues against moral rationalism that 'reason alone can never move us to action'. Instead, the passions are the source of our moral motivations.Hume also rejects claims that the source of morality is god. Instead, he offers a naturalist account of the origin of morality grounded in our psychology.You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠
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  David Hume: Causation and Necessary Connection 03.10.2025 40dk

  David Hume applies his skeptical method of definition to the ideas 'power' and 'necessary connection'. And he finds, again, that these ideas don't come from observation, but from the workings of our own mind.He goes on to offer his own definition of causation, casting a long shadow over the modern debate.You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠
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  David Hume: Causation and Belief 17.09.2025 1sa 6dk

  David Hume critiques the Aristotelian notion of causation. We cannot prove causal connections by a priori reasoning. So our causal thinking has to come from somewhere else, namely our nature given instincts.This episode also looks at the difference between thought and belief, including Hume's idea that believing something is a kind of feeling.You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠
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  David Hume: Theory of Mind 07.09.2025 50dk

  David Hume fashions a new theory of mind, modelled on Newtonian science.This episode covers his basic views on feeling and thinking, simple and complex ideas, and the principles of association. You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠
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  David Hume: Life, Works and Philosophical Project 29.08.2025 54dk

  This is the beginning of a mini series on David Hume, one of the most important philosophers writing in English. Hume was one of the British Empiricists who sought to remake philosophy in the same way that Newton remade science.The present episode covers his life and works, as well as his philosophical project.You can join future live sessions at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/philosophy⁠