Portalism: An Externalist Theory of Consciousness

by Jeffrey Laird

Overview

The mind is not the brain. The locus of our consciousness is in the world. Portalism embraces radical phenomenal externalism and represents a contemporary form of dualism that rejects materialist assumptions of mind/brain identity. As a philosophy of mind, Portalism breaks with traditional thinking in two significant ways: first by holding that consciousness is in fact a fifth fundamental force of nature endowed with behavioural attributes not unlike that of gravity, and second by arguing how consciousness inheres in all living organisms regardless of their biological sophistication. Portalism compels us to reject traditional monist theories about the nature of consciousness and boldly enter into a new way of thinking about our own reality.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781803410395
Publisher:	Collective Ink
Publication date:	11/25/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	280
File size:	609 KB

About the Author

Jeffrey M. Laird is a retired certified mapping scientist and geographic information systems professional. He gained a BA in Geography at George Mason University, a University Certified Cartographer GMU and a BA in Philosophy at the University of New Orleans. Raised in Washington DC, he now resides in Frankfort, Kentucky, USA, where he can be found philosophizing with his friends in the quiet pubs and sidewalk cafes of small town Frankfort.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 Overview of the Substance Debate 9

Chapter 2 Whither Consciousness? 30

Chapter 3 The Concept of Portalism 40

Chapter 4 The World 53

Chapter 5 The Portal 65

Chapter 6 The Brain 89

Chapter 7 The Mind 122

Chapter 8 In Defense of Portalism 175

Chapter 9 Phenomenal Externalism and the Future of Philosophy 222

Notes and Citations 248

Bibliography 256