2026 Nagel Lecture: Peter Godfrey-Smith on Biology, Functionalism, and the Mind-Body Problem
Philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith delivers Columbia's prestigious Nagel Lecture on how evolutionary biology illuminates consciousness and the mind-body problem.
Why we picked this
Godfrey-Smith is that rare philosopher who dives — literally — into the world he theorizes about. His work on octopus cognition changed how we think about other minds, and this lecture tackles the hardest question of all.
Peter Godfrey-Smith, the University of Sydney philosopher known for bridging evolutionary biology and philosophy of mind, delivers the 2026 Nagel Lecture at Columbia. His topic — “Biology, Functionalism, and the Mind-Body Problem” — sits at the intersection of his two great preoccupations: what it means to have a mind, and what biology can tell us about it.
Godfrey-Smith’s previous books, including Other Minds and Metazoa, earned him a reputation as one of the most lucid thinkers on animal consciousness working today. The Nagel Lecture, one of Columbia’s most distinguished philosophical addresses, is a fitting stage for work that challenges the boundaries between science and philosophy.
Free and open to the public. Check Columbia’s philosophy department for exact time and venue details.