This paper compares two models of the philosophy of mind: René Descartes' substance dualism and Daniel Dennett's multiple-drafts model. Descartes posits that the body and consciousness are distinct substances capable of independent existence, with the pineal gland serving as the point of interaction between the physical and conscious realms. Conversely, Dennett rejects this dualist approach, proposing that consciousness and all mental activities emerge from complex, multitrack neurophysiological processes distributed across various brain regions. Additionally, the paper examines the knowledge argument as a significantchallenge to physicalism. The study aims to demonstrate that Dennett's physicalist model, grounded in contemporary neuroscience, offers a more plausible explanation for the emergence of consciousness through neuronal activity, whereas substance dualism fails to elucidate the phenomenon and instead contributes to its mystification. / I denna uppsats jämförs två modeller av medvetandefilosofin, den substansdualistiska modellen av René Descartes och the multiple drafts model av fysikalisten Daniel Dennett. Descartes ser kropp och medvetande som två skilda substanser som kan existera oberoende av varandra. Enligt Descartes är tallkottkörteln den fysiska platsen där det fysiska och medvetandet kommer i kontakt med varandra. Dennett förkastar Descartes teori och beskriver uppkomsten av medvetande och alla former av mental aktivitet som ett resultat av komplexa flerspåriga neurofysiologiska processer på olika platser i hjärnan. Uppsatsen tar också upp och analyserar ett viktigt argument mot fysikalismen, kunskapsargumentet eller Mary i det svartvita rummet. Syftet med uppsatsen är att visa att Dennetts fysikalistiska modell är en samtida, neurovetenskapligt välgrundad och lämplig modell för att förklara uppkomsten av medvetandet som en produkt av neuronal aktivitet i hjärnan och att substansdualism inte ger förklaringar till fenomenet medvetande, utan snarare stöder ämnets mystifiering.

Topic of this thesis is Dennett's criticism of the philosophical notion of qualia. First, the notion of qualia and the meaning it acquires within philosophy are introduced. Then, four thought experiments are presented to serve as an argument in favor of existence of qualia along with Dennett's reaction to these thought experiments. After that, Dennett's criticism of qualia as immediately apprehensible, ineffable, intrinsic and private properties of conscious mental states is introduced while one of the most common objections to this criticism is emphasized - Dennett's conception of qualia is too narrow and we can preserve it in a moderate way. Subsequently, the thesis outlines such a modest concept - the concept of phenomenal consciousness. This thesis attempts to show that there is no place for phenomenal consciousness in Dennett's heterophenomenology and Multiple Drafts model and that Dennett is as skeptical about this term as he is about the notion of qualia. In the end, the thesis asks the question whether it is really necessary to give up the concept of phenomenal consciousness if we want to study consciousness scientifically - from the third-person point of view.