The Hard Problem

UT philosopher Galen Strawson reviews Tom Stoppard's new play, "The Hard Problem"--via a catty tour through the 400 year history of philosophical debates about the mind-body problem.

It’s what Hilary needs to do, in Tom Stoppard’s new play The Hard Problem. She challenges her amorous tutor Spike to explain consciousness and insists that “when you come right down to it, the body is made of things” – she means physical things – “and things don’t have thoughts.” There is, however, no good reason to think that this last thing is true, and overwhelming reason to think it’s false.

D'oh!

By the way, if you're looking for an actual review of Tom Stoppard's play--I'm joking. This is not that. But this is still worth reading, you deluded fool, you.