Dr. Joshua Rasmussen discusses various lines of thought related to understanding the nature and origin of the human person. We look at inquiry in terms of introspection, reason, and the scientific method as well as feelings according to eliminativism, reductionism, non-reductive materialism, and the something more view. We next consider thought in relation to the aspects of aboutness, structure, truth-value, logical linkability, and counting arguments. Dr. Rasmussen then explores five theories of perception (direct realism, phenomenalism, intentional theory, representationalism, window theory) and the will, freedom, determinism, and compatibilism. We next tackle the value of the individual, intrinsic value, the value puzzle, the mind-body problem, epiphenomenalism, dualistic interactionism, the conscious substance theory, the self, oneness, point of view, and self-awareness. We move on to the origins of persons, the construction problem, mind-making, the binding problem, the unity of a conscious self, three views of identity (body, psychological, soul) dichotomist and trichotomist views, and the prior identity hypothesis. Dr. Rasmussen discusses the emergence of consciousness in terms of strong emergence, incongruent emergence, and substance emergence. Finally, Dr. Rasmussen answers the question, 'how could a first-person conscious substance come to exist?'

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Check out Joshua Rasmussen's book "Who Are You, Really?: A Philosopher's Inquiry into the Nature and Origin of Persons" published by IVP Academic in 2023.

https://www.amazon.com/Who-Are-You-Really-Philosophers/dp/1514003945/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.K17XpoqY_hxpYlQ363dtg8vKhBXVKg1nxqo9vZ7s-0AsT7ZNDMLtjV7D5ul0k4Gc4jt2AMR1veP-DqxxWerT5L-ll_zCdJxBiSgS0WRn4e3WjlHVxD3v98-gr6m6mu-1m1bL8Qbmx1ixu9UuMUdLD3YYrhXJHGuShj6zeYjJtUOivy9pXsH75c4LmsDUVBl3JhJTBYXPadZYLu-ztFYSsYs8BLb-FsSaXxXEgyNXFrk.vleJKWZfmH4KKGSer6fTfZJl92R-u47TOiWXsANxWfg&qid=1718406540&sr=8-1