Physicalism is a philosophy of mind which attempts to explain consciousness as resulting from physical causes. The lack of a complete and consistent mathematical theory to explain physical causation has led other philosophers of mind to propose that consciousness is a nonphysical essence, property, or substance. However, the idea that physics can be defined atomically and/or deterministically leads to explanatory problems for consciousness, as well as for the dualisms which explain consciousness under these assumptions. This thesis advances a position called “continuous physicalism” which takes all material to result from deformations in the physical medium of space, and any changes in these materials to result from indeterministic natural processes. Consciousness is redefined as a discrete but ephemeral object formed by these changes, rather than as an essence which observes atomic and/or deterministic physics from a perspective outside of them. It further denies the essentialism underlying any mathematical and/or analytic theories of consciousness based on an infinite expansion model of the Big Bang Theory. Continuous physicalism will be elaborated and supported by empirical evidence from the studies of quantum mechanics, relativity, and neuroscience. It offers an understanding of how consciousness is physical, as well as a model for the detection of consciousness in potential subjects.
","abstract_html":"<p>Physicalism is a philosophy of mind which attempts to explain consciousness as resulting from physical causes. The lack of a complete and consistent mathematical theory to explain physical causation has led other philosophers of mind to propose that consciousness is a nonphysical essence, property, or substance. However, the idea that physics can be defined atomically and/or deterministically leads to explanatory problems for consciousness, as well as for the dualisms which explain consciousness under these assumptions. This thesis advances a position called “continuous physicalism” which takes all material to result from deformations in the physical medium of space, and any changes in these materials to result from indeterministic natural processes. Consciousness is redefined as a discrete but ephemeral object formed by these changes, rather than as an essence which observes atomic and/or deterministic physics from a perspective outside of them. It further denies the essentialism underlying any mathematical and/or analytic theories of consciousness based on an infinite expansion model of the Big Bang Theory. Continuous physicalism will be elaborated and supported by empirical evidence from the studies of quantum mechanics, relativity, and neuroscience. It offers an understanding of how consciousness is physical, as well as a model for the detection of consciousness in potential subjects.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["McGowan, Brian"],"institution":"The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York","degree_name":"Master of Arts","degree_level":"Master","degree_discipline":"Liberal Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Richard Brown"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["David Humphries"],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2024-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:59:05Z","subjects":["Epistemology","Metaphysics","Philosophy of Language","Philosophy of Mind","Philosophy of Science","Consciousness","physics","theology","cosmology","neurology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/5802","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Richard Brown"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["David Humphries"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["McGowan, Brian"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2024-05-02T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Liberal Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Epistemology","Metaphysics","Philosophy of Language","Philosophy of Mind","Philosophy of Science","Consciousness","physics","theology","cosmology","neurology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/5802"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Physicalism is a philosophy of mind which attempts to explain consciousness as resulting from physical causes. The lack of a complete and consistent mathematical theory to explain physical causation has led other philosophers of mind to propose that consciousness is a nonphysical essence, property, or substance. However, the idea that physics can be defined atomically and/or deterministically leads to explanatory problems for consciousness, as well as for the dualisms which explain consciousness under these assumptions. This thesis advances a position called “continuous physicalism” which takes all material to result from deformations in the physical medium of space, and any changes in these materials to result from indeterministic natural processes. Consciousness is redefined as a discrete but ephemeral object formed by these changes, rather than as an essence which observes atomic and/or deterministic physics from a perspective outside of them. It further denies the essentialism underlying any mathematical and/or analytic theories of consciousness based on an infinite expansion model of the Big Bang Theory. Continuous physicalism will be elaborated and supported by empirical evidence from the studies of quantum mechanics, relativity, and neuroscience. It offers an understanding of how consciousness is physical, as well as a model for the detection of consciousness in potential subjects.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Consciousness and Physicalism"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Richard Brown"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["David Humphries"],"dc:creator":["McGowan, Brian"],"dc:date.available":["2024-05-02T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Physicalism is a philosophy of mind which attempts to explain consciousness as resulting from physical causes. The lack of a complete and consistent mathematical theory to explain physical causation has led other philosophers of mind to propose that consciousness is a nonphysical essence, property, or substance. However, the idea that physics can be defined atomically and/or deterministically leads to explanatory problems for consciousness, as well as for the dualisms which explain consciousness under these assumptions. This thesis advances a position called “continuous physicalism” which takes all material to result from deformations in the physical medium of space, and any changes in these materials to result from indeterministic natural processes. Consciousness is redefined as a discrete but ephemeral object formed by these changes, rather than as an essence which observes atomic and/or deterministic physics from a perspective outside of them. It further denies the essentialism underlying any mathematical and/or analytic theories of consciousness based on an infinite expansion model of the Big Bang Theory. Continuous physicalism will be elaborated and supported by empirical evidence from the studies of quantum mechanics, relativity, and neuroscience. It offers an understanding of how consciousness is physical, as well as a model for the detection of consciousness in potential subjects.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/5802"],"dc:subject":["Epistemology","Metaphysics","Philosophy of Language","Philosophy of Mind","Philosophy of Science","Consciousness","physics","theology","cosmology","neurology"],"dc:title":["Consciousness and Physicalism"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Liberal Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts"],"thesis:institution_name":["The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:59:05Z"}