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<p>In most traditions within classical Indian philosophy, the soteriological goal of liberation from material existence has caused difficulties with introducing their systems of thought into contemporary discussions of physicalism. Despite this, scholars are finding ways for these traditions to contribute to discussions of physicalism. I shall continue this endeavour in this paper with the doctrine of reincarnation. I shall outline the implications of reincarnation for Thomas Nagel’s knowledge argument. After outlining some accounts of reincarnation and explaining Nagel’s argument, I shall argue that cases in which humans have past animal lives can be used as a way of refuting Nagel’s argument. I shall then develop two responses to the physicalist and will conclude that the second in particular undermines their use of reincarnation to defend their view against Nagel’s argument.</p>

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Can You Remember What It Was Like To Be a Bat? The Knowledge Argument, Memory, and Reincarnation

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年8月6日

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  • Harvey Cawdron

摘要

In most traditions within classical Indian philosophy, the soteriological goal of liberation from material existence has caused difficulties with introducing their systems of thought into contemporary discussions of physicalism. Despite this, scholars are finding ways for these traditions to contribute to discussions of physicalism. I shall continue this endeavour in this paper with the doctrine of reincarnation. I shall outline the implications of reincarnation for Thomas Nagel’s knowledge argument. After outlining some accounts of reincarnation and explaining Nagel’s argument, I shall argue that cases in which humans have past animal lives can be used as a way of refuting Nagel’s argument. I shall then develop two responses to the physicalist and will conclude that the second in particular undermines their use of reincarnation to defend their view against Nagel’s argument.