We provide empirical evidence that people who believe in dualism are more likely to be uncomfortable with Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) and to view it as threatening to their identity, humanity, or self. It is (neurocentric) materialists—who think the mind just is the brain—that are less inclined to fear DBS or to see it as threatening. We suggest various possible reasons for this connection. Th...

Humans may intuitively be dualists, imagining physical bodies and non-physical minds as distinct and separable. Intuitive dualism has been invoked to explain diverse phenomena, including the spread and distribution of religious beliefs and our intuitions about psychological illnesses. Alternatively, dualism may be learned gradually by participation in cultures with a Cartesian intellectual trad...

in this paper i explore surprising parallels in the arguments between dualists and materialists in the philosophy of mind in india and the west. in particular, i compare the nyaya school of india with cartesian dualism and its western defenders and the carvaka school of india with contemporary western materialists.

We call attention to certain cases of epistemic akrasia, arguing that they support belief-credence dualism. Belief-credence dualism is the view belief and credence are irreducible, equally fundamental attitudes. Consider case an agent who believes p, has low in thus shouldn’t believe p. argue dualists, as opposed belief-firsters (who say reduces belief) credence-firsters credence) can best expl...