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Relations (1)
related 2.58 — strongly supporting 5 facts
The concept of 'zombies' is used as a philosophical thought experiment to analyze the nature of consciousness, as seen in the arguments of David Chalmers [1], [2] and the anti-physicalist debates [3]. Furthermore, the relationship is explored through critical academic discourse, such as David Papineau's work on the impossibility of zombies [4] and Daniel Dennett's provocative claim that humans are effectively zombies [5].
Facts (5)
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The Hard Problem of Consciousness | Springer Nature Link link.springer.com 2 facts
quoteDaniel Dennett argues that zombies are actual and that nobody is conscious in the mysterious way that supports doctrines like epiphenomenalism, stating: “Are zombies possible? They’re not just possible, they’re actual. We’re all zombies. Nobody is conscious — not in the systematically mysterious way that supports such doctrines as epiphenomenalism”
claimDavid Chalmers's 'zombies' have become a standard element in recent philosophical discussions regarding consciousness.
Hard problem of consciousness - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org 1 fact
referenceDavid Papineau authored the chapter 'The Impossibility of Zombies' in the book 'Thinking about Consciousness', published by Oxford Academic.
Hard Problem of Consciousness | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy iep.utm.edu 1 fact
claimDavid Chalmers uses the concept of 'zombies'—creatures that are physically and functionally identical to humans but lack consciousness—to demonstrate that consciousness cannot be functionally analyzed.
Consciousness (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy/Fall 2025 ... plato.stanford.edu 1 fact
claimArguments for anti-physicalism regarding the ontology of consciousness often rely on a priori reasoning, such as the conceivability of zombies as proposed by Kirk in 1970 and Chalmers in 1996, or the knowledge argument as proposed by Jackson in 1982 and 1986.