David Bentley Hart - Does Consciousness Defeat Materialism?

I like David Bentley Hart and the way he writes. He's a great writer and speaker.

best exposition in a long time of this problem- others get side tracked but David's incisive arguments are compelling- quite exhilarating to have it defined so precisely to make any counter argument effectively impotent

There’s a lot talk about the hard problem of consciousness but little discussion about hardest problem of all - our seeming individuality. Why would electricity in my head create my consciousness and electricity in your head create your consciousness? Why am I, I and you, you? As well as not being able to explain any specific qualia materialist theories cannot explain this, the most important thing. Why do I seem to be a specific, individualized consciousness associated with a specific body while you seem to be a different specific, individualized consciousness associated with another body? Why am I, I and you, you? There were billions of bodies around before this one showed up so what changed that I should suddenly find myself to be looking out of the eyeballs of this particular body and no other? When it comes to understanding consciousness this is the most important question that must be asked and answered but it is rarely even acknowledged. When the ontologies purporting to explain consciousness are examined critically it becomes obvious that all materialist/reductionist strategies fail completely in attempting to address this question. What is the principled explanation for why: A brain over here would generate my specific consciousness and a brain over there would generate your specific consciousness? Integrated information over here would generate my specific consciousness and integrated information over there would generate your specific consciousness? Global workspace over here would generate my specific consciousness and global workspace there would generate your specific consciousness? Orchestrated quantum collapse in microtubules over here would generate my specific consciousness and orchestrated quantum collapse in microtubules over there would generate your specific consciousness? A clump of conscious atoms over here (panpsychicism) would generate my specific consciousness and a clump of conscious over there would generate your specific consciousness? Materialism already fails since it cannot find a transfer function between microvolt level sparks in the brain and any experience or qualia. In addition it’s not even possible for materialistic ontologies to address this question of individuality since no measurement can be made that could verify my consciousness vs your consciousness and therefore no materialist ontology could make any coherent statements about the subject.

Conciousness is not what you do, its what you are. Fundamental as existence.

Robert is such a wonderful host and a brilliant mind. Dr Hart is also a joy to listen to. ❤☦️

Finally you guys post this part of the interview. Thank you. I love Hart and Khuns back and forth .

This interview was one of the most defining moments of my philosophical journey. This moment is when "the penny dropped" for me.

This is a worthwhile interview.

Such a highly intellectual discussion that is not so easy for the average person (me) to wrap their head around.

His book on consciousness in 2024 will be titled, "All Things Are Full of Gods".