Keywords = Phenomenal Consciousness

Explaining the two-dimensional semantics role in the Zombie conceivability argument

Volume 9, Issue 18, February 2020, Pages 49-68

https://doi.org/10.30465/ps.2020.4626

yasser delfani, Ahmadreza Hemmatimoghaddam

Abstract Physicalism is a view that holds everything is physical and considers phenomenal consciousness as a physical phenomenon. The Zombie conceivability argument that has been raised by David Chalmers shows that phenomenal consciousness cannot be a physical phenomenon. As a result, the claim of physicalism is false. Two-dimensional semantics is one of the components of this argument that plays an important role in constructing the first and second premisses of this argument so that without it this argument would not be formed. It establishes primary conceivability in the first premise and primary and secondary possibility in the second premise so that provides the inference of secondary possibility from primary possibility. Our purpose in this article is to explain and clarify two-dimensional semantics and its role in this argument.