Home›Open Questions›Is the mind identical with the physical brain, or is it something genuinely non-physical?Open QuestionsIs the mind identical with the physical brain, or is it something genuinely non-physical?Citation FormatsGeneral ReferenceGeneral Reference Citation TextPhilosophy Atlas. "Is the mind identical with the physical brain, or is it something genuinely non-physical?." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://dev-philosophy.interactiveatlas.org/open-questions-index/mind-body-problem.Copy General ReferenceAPA StyleAPA Style Citation TextPhilosophy Atlas. (n.d.). Is the mind identical with the physical brain, or is it something genuinely non-physical?. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://dev-philosophy.interactiveatlas.org/open-questions-index/mind-body-problemCopy APA StyleBibTeXBibTeX Citation Text@misc{philosophyatlas-is-the-mind-identical-with-the-physical, author = {Philosophy Atlas}, title = {Is the mind identical with the physical brain, or is it something genuinely non-physical?}, year = {2026}, url = {https://dev-philosophy.interactiveatlas.org/open-questions-index/mind-body-problem}, note = {Accessed August 30, 2026} }Copy BibTeXOpen QuestionCross-Tradition ConnectionsSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)Open QuestionSubstance dualists, physicalists, property dualists and panpsychists each explain the correlation between mental states and brain states without producing an argument that has persuaded the others; the debate has run since Descartes with no side conceding.What would resolve this A physical explanation that closes the explanatory gap between third-person brain description and first-person experience, or a rigorous non-physicalist theory that makes testable predictions, would settle it; neither has yet been produced.OpenPhilosophy of mind, cognitive science, neuroscienceStanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyCross-Tradition ConnectionsQuestion OnPhilosophy of Mind, Branches of Philosophy Well-attested Source Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophytier 1SourcesStanford Encyclopedia of Philosophytier 1Stanford University, Center for the Study of Language and Informations.v. DualismView the SourceComments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.View At A Past YearThe atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.Show This Year