-
2Grasping phenomenal propertiesIn Torin Andrew Alter & Sven Walter (eds.), Phenomenal Concepts and Phenomenal Knowledge: New Essays on Consciousness and Physicalism, Oxford University Press. 2006.1 Grasping Properties I will present an argument for property dualism. The argument employs a distinction between having a concept of a property and grasping a property via a concept. If you grasp a property P via a concept C, then C is a concept of P. But the reverse does not hold: you may have a concept of a property without grasping that property via any concept. If you grasp a property, then your cognitive relation to that property is more intimate then if you just have some concept or other…Read more
-
What Mary Couldn’t Know: Belief About Phenomenal StatesIn Thomas Metzinger (ed.), Conscious Experience, Ferdinand Schoningh. 1995.
-
67La nature individuelle non-descriptive des êtres conscientsRÉPHA, revue étudiante de philosophie analytique 8 11-33. 2014.
-
98Reddish Green: A Challenge for Modal Claims about Phenomenal StructurePhilosophy and Phenomenological Research 78 (2). 2009.We discuss two modal claims about the phenomenal structure of color experiences: (i) violet experiences are necessarily experiences of a color that is for the subject on that occasion phenomenally composed of red and blue (the modal claim about violet) and (ii) no subject can possibly have an experience of a color that is for it then phenomenally composed of red and green (the modal claim about reddish green). The modal claim about reddish green is undermined by empirical results. We discuss whe…Read more
-
12Phänomenales Bewusstsein und Subjekte von ErfahrungIn Detlev Ganten, Volker Gerhardt & Julian Nida-Rümelin (eds.), Funktionen des Bewusstseins, Walter De Gruyter. pp. 39-62. 2008.
-
322IntroductionDialectica 60 (3): 209-222. 2006.In November 2003, the University of Fribourg hosted a symposium on the ontology of colors. The invited participants included Justin Broackes, Alex Byrne, David Chalmers, Larry Hardin, Joe Levine and Barry Maund. The points of view presented by the participants in their thought-provoking papers were highly divergent. The presentation of each paper was followed by a long and intense discussion. Despite the divergence of the views proposed, the discussion during the symposium was highly focus…Read more
-
Colours and shapesIn Fiona Macpherson & Fabian Dorsch (eds.), Phenomenal Presence, Oxford University Press. 2018.
-
The Phenomenology of Self-Awareness and the Nature of Conscious Subjects (edited book)Routledge. forthcoming.
-
98On belief about experiences: An epistemological distinction applied to the knowledge argumentPhilosophy and Phenomenological Research 58 (1): 51-73. 1998.The article introduces two kinds of belief-phenomenal belief and nonphenomenal belief---about color experiences and examines under what conditions the distinction can be extended to belief about other kinds of mental states. A thesis of the paper is that the so-called Knowledge Argument should not be formulated---as usual---using the locution of ‘knowing what it’s like’ but instead using the concept of phenomenal belief and explains why ‘knowing what it's like’ does not serve the purposes of tho…Read more
-
139On belief about experiences: An epistemological distinction applied to the knowledge argument against physicalismPhilosophy and Phenomenological Research 58 (1): 51-73. 1998.The article introduces two kinds of belief-phenomenal belief and nonphenomenal belief-about color experiences and examines under what conditions the distinction can be extended to belief about other kinds of mental states. A thesis of the paper is that the so-called Knowledge Argument should not be formulated-as usual-using the locution of `knowing what it's like' but instead using the concept of phenomenal belief and explains why `knowing what it's like' does not serve the purposes of those who…Read more
-
46Transtemporale Identität bewusstseinsfähiger WesenDeutsche Zeitschrift für Philosophie 56 (4): 513-534. 2008.Unser natürliches Verständnis der transtemporalen Identität bewusstseinsfähiger Wesen unterscheidet sich grundlegend von unserem Verständnis der transtemporalen Identität von Dingen, die wir nicht für bewusstseinsfähig halten. Der Unterschied beruht letztlich auf begrifflichen Besonderheiten unseres selbstbezogenen Denkens. Wir haben ein von Kriterien der transtemporalen Identität freies Verständnis der eigenen transtemporalen Identität und diese Kriterienfreiheit überträgt sich auf unsere Gedan…Read more
-
143The Illusion of IllusionismJournal of Consciousness Studies 23 (11-12): 160-171. 2016.A central thesis of Frankish's argument for illusionism is the claim that illusionism is possibly true. This is what the realist about phenomenal consciousness must deny. Frankish's argument for that premise is based on a widely shared understanding of phenomenal consciousness as being a matter of certain events instantiating special properties. I argue that the illusionist's reasoning is difficult to avoid if one accepts this common account. A positive argument for the thesis that the mere poss…Read more
-
255Transparency of experience and the perceptual model of phenomenal awarenessPhilosophical Perspectives 21 (1). 2007.
-
59Realism about Identity and Individuality of Conscious BeingsIn Katharina Neges, Josef Mitterer, Sebastian Kletzl & Christian Kanzian (eds.), Realism - Relativism - Constructivism: Proceedings of the 38th International Wittgenstein Symposium in Kirchberg, De Gruyter. pp. 279-292. 2017.
-
34A Puzzle About ColorsDialectica 60 (3): 321-336. 2006.I propose a description of one aspect of the philosophical problem about the ontology of colors by formulating and motivating six plausible premises that seem to be hard to deny in isolation but that are jointly incoherent. I briefly sketch a solution and comment on the views presented in this volume from the perspective of the puzzle.
-
361What Mary couldn't know: Belief about phenomenal statesIn Thomas Metzinger (ed.), Conscious Experience, Ferdinand Schoningh. pp. 219--41. 1995.
-
185The Argument for Subject Body Dualism from Transtemporal Identity DefendedPhilosophy and Phenomenological Research 86 (3): 702-714. 2013.In my argument for subject body dualism criticized by Ludwig I use the locution of a genuine and factual difference between two possibilities. Ludwig distinguishes three interpretations of this locution. According to his analysis the argument does not go through on any of these interpretations. In my response I agree that the argument is unsuccessful if ‘factual difference’ is understood in the first way. The second reading—according to a plausible understanding—cannot be used for the argument e…Read more
-
91Phenomenal character and the transparency of experienceIn Edmond Wright (ed.), The Case for Qualia, Mit Press. pp. 309--324. 2008.
-
172Doings and subject causationErkenntnis 67 (2). 2007.In the center of this paper is a phenomenological claim: we experience ourselves in our own doings and we experience others when we perceive them in their doings as active in the sense of being a cause of the corresponding physical event. These experiences are fundamental to the way we view ourselves and others. It is therefore desirable for any philosophical theory to be compatible with the content of these experiences and thus to avoid the attribution of radical and permanent error to human ex…Read more
-
101Thinking without language. A phenomenological argument for its possibility and existenceGrazer Philosophische Studien 81 (1): 55-75. 2010.The view is defended that the mere lack of language in a creature does not justify doubts about its capacity for genuine and complex thinking. Thinking is understood as a mental occurrent activity that belongs to phenomenal consciousness. Specific kinds of thinking are characterized by active or passive attending to the contents present to the subject, by the thinking being goal-directed, guided by standards of rationality or other standards of adequacy, and finally by being a case of critical r…Read more
-
43La nozione di soggetto cosciente e la sua base fenomenologica nell'autocoscienza preriflessivaRivista di Filosofia 104 (3): 485-504. 2013.
-
119Freedom and the Phenomenology of AgencyErkenntnis 83 (1): 61-87. 2018.Free action and microphysical determination are incompatible but this is so only in virtue of a genuine conflict between microphysical determination with any active behavior. I introduce active behavior as the veridicality condition of agentive experiences and of perceptual experiences and argue that these veridicality conditions are fulfilled in many everyday cases of human and non-human behavior and that they imply the incompatibility of active behavior with microphysical determination. The ma…Read more
-
51Zur Abhängigkeit transtemporaler, personaler Identität von empirischen BeziehungenZeitschrift für Philosophische Forschung 52 (2). 1998.In dem Artikel wird die These vertreten, daß unser Begriff transtemporaler, personaler Identität keine Reduktion auf empirische Beziehungen zuläßt und auch eine Revision zugunsten eines reduzierbaren Begriffs personaler Identität mit tief verwurzelten begrifflichen Besonderheiten unseres Denkens in Konflikt geriete. Diese nicht-reduktionistische Auffassung sollte aber, so wird in dem Artikel argumentiert, mit einer These der nomologischen Abhängigkeit transtemporaler, personaler Identität von üb…Read more
-
1An argument from transtemporal identity for subject-body dualismIn Robert C. Koons & George Bealer (eds.), The waning of materialism, Oxford University Press. 2010.
-
The character of color predicates: A phenomenalist viewIn M. Anduschus, Albert Newen & Wolfgang Kunne (eds.), Direct Reference, Indexicality, and Propositional Attitudes, Csli Press. 1997.
-
1Phenomenal essentialism: A problem for identity theoristsIn Ralph Schumacher (ed.), Perception and Reality: From Descartes to the Present, Mentis. 2004.
-
64Intrinsic phenomenal properties in color science: A reply to Peter RossConsciousness and Cognition 8 (4): 571-574. 1999.
Lugano, Ticino, Switzerland
Areas of Specialization
Epistemology |
Philosophy of Action |
Philosophy of Language |
Philosophy of Mind |
Areas of Interest
Epistemology |
Philosophy of Action |
Philosophy of Language |
Philosophy of Mind |