How Does Consciousness Merely Naturally Supervene on the Physical?

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to show that there seems to be no reason to believe that the mental merely naturally supervenes on the physical. By claiming that phenomenal consciousness does not logically supervene on the physical, David Chalmers wants to be a dualist. However, by claiming that the former merely naturally supervenes on the latter, he wants to rule out the mystery existing between the two without explaining the details. I claim that there are two options for a dualist depending on whether he accepts Humean supervenience. If he accepts it, then there are two paths in front of him. I show that both paths are not acceptable in order. If mental properties are supervenient properties, then the mental logically supervenes on the physical, and if mental properties are subvening base properties, then the mental does not even naturally supervene on the physical. If a dualist denies Humean supervenience, then he should show how phenomenal consciousness could merely naturally supervene on the physical without Humean supervenience. It seems that he should embrace mystery in this case. These considerations invoke the notion of Humean supervenience. I claim that Humean supervenience is a natural view and defend it from a couple of objections to it.