Evaluation of hard materialism

• It seems certain that mind and body are closely related. Physical conditions, for instance, often have a strong effect on mental states
• But hard materialism's reductionism is very determinist. This is a problem for belief in free will and moral responsibility
• It rules out any idea of survival after death other than as a memory or through passing on DNA. This is unacceptable for most religious believers
• There is also what is known as the 'Hard Problem of consciousness'. Consciousness seems so different from the physical brain that it is hard to see how the latter can produce it
• The physical brain cannot account for quail, which are the subjective experiences everyone has as a conscious being
• Dawkins makes sweeping statements
• Qualia= the subjective experiences everyone has as a conscious being