Dual-aspect monism

• Dual-aspect monism

  The "middle" belief between materialism and dualism. The belief that ontologically we are one substance, but this substance has two aspects
• Dual-aspect monism

  We are more than just our physical bodies as there is a spiritual part of us. However, the physical and spiritual part of us are both part of one substance. Neither can survive death within our scientific worldview. Belief in a soul is not necessary, as we have spiritual aspects to our being.
• Dual-aspect monism

  There is only one substance that contains the essence of being. There are two parts/aspects of the same substance. One aspect is our sense of awareness/sensual experience. This is known as Qualia - The ability to be aware of sensory input and interpret this input as data.
• Dual-aspect monism

  The other aspect is the physical experience that is actually happening in the brain e.g. the chemicals that are released when someone feels physical pain.
• Dual-aspect monism

  Our "self" is found in the psycho - physical relationship between both aspects of the brain and mind
• Strengths of Dual-aspect monism

  Avoids the one problem with Substance Dualism - this problem is how separate physical and mental substances can interact. There are no separate substances, only one substance with two aspects
• Strengths of Dual-aspect monism

  Avoids physicalisms problem with qualia - hard physicalism simply cannot succeed in reducing consciousness or qualia to a purely physical description
• Strengths of Dual-aspect monism

  The single substance of dual-aspect monism is unknown
• Strengths of Dual-aspect monism

  Dual-aspect monism does receive powerful support from quantum theory in describing the relationship between two aspects.
• Panpsychism

  The view that is a level of consciousness/mentality in all entities in the universe, down to and including quantum particles. This solves the problem of conscious states of other animals