The Hard Problem of Consciousness, Part 2: The Gift of ”What It’s Like” to be You

A lecture given at L’Abri Fellowship in Southborough, Massachusetts. For more information, visit https://southboroughlabri.org/

by Ben Keyes

Philosopher Thomas Nagel defined consciousness as "what it is like" to be yourself. While we all go about our daily lives as conscious beings, usually without much reflection, consciousness itself remains a deeply mysterious thing. This lecture will explore several more aspects of what makes consciousness such a "hard problem," particularly from the materialist perspective. I will argue that only belief in a transcendent, personal Creator can give us the grounds for answering the question "Why are we conscious?" Lastly, we will attempt to address the question: What is it about the existence of consciousness that makes sense from within a biblical understanding of humanity?

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