Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas · Sean Carroll

Ned Block on Whether Consciousness Requires Biology

January 5, 2026·1 hr 11 min·5 clips

Ned Block explains why phenomenal consciousness is the 'what it's like' of experience that no one can define.

Sean Carroll interviews philosopher Ned Block on whether consciousness requires biological processes, exploring distinctions like phenomenal vs access consciousness, the hard problem, and implications for AI. They debate computational functionalism, illusionism, and how neuroscience might inform our understanding of subjective experience.

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