Strategy of Phenomenal Concepts: Critique and Relevance

Abstract

The article presents and places the physicalist strategy of phenomenal concepts in a philosophical context. Its main purpose is to show that this middle way position, which holds that both realism of qualia and physicalism are true, cannot be maintained. First we articulate the strategy itself and show what exactly phenomenal concepts are meant to be. Then we highlight one critique of the said strategy in order to show that this middle way of metaphysical conservatism and qualia realism is not tenable. In addition, we illustrate that the current discussion on the ontology of consciousness became polarized to such extent that it derailed the compromise viewpoint. At the end, we put forward a piece of advice for physicalists, which is basically a suggestion to abandon the compromise position between the qualia realism and physicalism.