American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly

Volume 85, Issue 2, Spring 2011

Two Unsuccessful Arguments for Immaterialism

I examine two arguments for the conclusion that thinking is not a physical process. James F. Ross argues that thinking is determinate in a manner that no purely physical process can be. Peter Geach argues that thinking is a basic activity that, unlike basic physical processes, cannot be assigned a precise position in time. I present two objections to Ross’s argument. I then show that even if Geach’s argument avoids these objections, it is vulnerable to two other objections. I conclude that neither argument establishes the immateriality of thinking.