The Matter of the Mind

"The Matter of the Mind" focuses on the mind-body problem. Such a problem should be viewed not as a philosophical or metaphysical problem, but as a cognitive one. What needs to be accounted for is a representation of how the interaction of the mind and brain can become more intelligible.

The author proposes that science can provide such a representation, especially the contemporary physics of string theory. String theory offers a new conception of matter, allowing a passage of matter to the mind without the difficulties imposed by a traditional/common sense corpuscular conception of material objects. In other words, string theory will enable us to conceive of a continuum between matter and the mind. There is no discontinuity between them once we abandon the visual perception-based description of matter, depicting it as solidity, impenetrability, and extension in space.