That we think about things, that we remember past events, that we perceive the world around us, that we feel pain and other sensations, that we have emotions, that we formulate plans and strive to put them into action—these are among the most quotidian, undeniable realities of human life as we know it and experience it. And yet philosophers and scientists have long struggled to find a place for such "mental" phenomena within a conception of the world as natural and un-mysterious. Why has this been seen as such a difficult task? Is this challenge genuine, or is it illusory? What would it take for us to achieve genuine satisfaction in our understanding of the place of the mind in the natural world? We will consider these questions against the backdrop of both contemporary and historical philosophical approaches to thought and consciousness.
Presenter: