Phenomenal Experience and the Thesis of Revelation

Abstract

In the philosophy of mind, revelation is the claim that the nature of qualia is revealed in phenomenal experience. In the literature, revelation is often thought of as intuitive but in tension with physicalism. While mentions of revelation are frequent, there is room for further discussion of how precisely to formulate the thesis of revelation and what it exactly amounts to. Drawing on the work of David Lewis, this chapter provides a detailed discussion on how the thesis of revelation, as well as its incompatibility with physicalism, is to be understood.