Assuming Quote by Elliott Sober
“It can be a necessary conceptual truth that pains are painful without this ruling out the physicalist thesis that immaterial minds are impossible or the thesis that conscious states supervene on physical states. The necessity involved in these claims is nomological necessity, not metaphysical necessity (assuming that these are different).”
About This Quote
Source Book: Philosophy of Biology, Elliott Sober, 1992
The claim argues that mental pain must be explained by physical processes, not by denying physicalism, and that this necessity is about laws of nature, not about ultimate metaphysical truths.
In simple terms: Physical explanations are needed for pain, and this necessity is about laws, not metaphysics.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the role of natural laws in explaining mental phenomena.
Themes
philosophy
mind
physics
necessity
Mood
analytical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
academic
When to use this quote
- debates on consciousness
- ethical discussions on pain
- psychological research
- legal responsibility for mental states
Key Concepts
physicalism
nomological necessity
supervenience
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we reconcile subjective pain with physical explanations?
- Can law‑like necessity fully account for consciousness?
A Different Perspective
Physicalist explanations may not capture subjective experience fully.
