There are numerous theories and arguments that are prevalent such as Physicalism and Identity Theory due to their connection in science. Especially from the standpoint of a physicalist, everything that exist/occurs is physical. However, an array of philosophers didn’t feel as though these theories embodied all there is to the universe. Many of these philosophers challenged the idea that physical properties can’t be justifications for non-physical phenomena. Physical experiences can’t account for experiences of bodily sensations, emotions, and the visual experiences of seeing color. Therefore, dualist perspectives came about to challenge the relationship of physicalism and the experience of a sensation with devices such as qualia.
To begin, physicalism is the philosophical position that everything that exist is nothing more than its physical properties, which implies that the only existing thing is physical. In challenging physicalism, a dualistic perspective emerged. Frank Jackson gives the dualistic theory epiphenomenalism, which is the doctrine that mental and physical phenomena are two different entities, yet there is a causal relationship between the two. (Handout 4) These mental events do no impinge on the physical world. To address the physicalist standpoint that all experiences are physical, Jackson
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Mary has been enclosed in a grey room stript of being able to see any colors for the entirety of her life, but she specializes in the science of color vision. She has never seen color, but is aware of all physical features that are associated with it. She knows everything related to seeing colors such as wavelength, how color affects the brain, and characteristics of light. Mary is now released from the black and white room, and sees the color red for the first time. Jackson uses the knowledge argument to enlighten on the essence of this newfound