Introduction to the philosophy of mind — for beginners

Welcome to the fascinating world of the philosophy of mind! Here we dive into the depths of consciousness, explore the nature of the mind and ask ourselves the big questions: What is mind? How does it arise from matter? And above all: Can my lawnmower feel pain?

Category errors: The classic among thinking errors

In the philosophy of mind, we often stumble across so-called category errors. These are errors in thinking that arise when we transfer terms from one category to another, where they simply don’t make sense.

Body and mind — two sides of the same coin?

Let’s imagine the body-mind problem. For centuries, philosophers have racked their brains over how mind and body fit together. Is the spirit an independent substance that resides in the body? Or is it simply a product of our brain?

This dichotomy often stems from a category error. We regard mind and body as two separate things, substances with properties of their own. However, we forget that these are two different observational perspectives .

From a physiological perspective, we look at the body as an organism made up of organs and cells. The spirit, on the other hand, does not appear at all in this perspective.