Phenomenal properties are commonly considered as a special kind of entities because of their peculiar features, such as privacy, perspectivity and necessary ownership to the individual. Such sui generis properties are not easily accommodated in a physicalist framework, since physical objects and properties do not have such features, and it is difficult to conceive any physical entity in terms of these sui generis properties. In this regard, this paper aims to: (1) deal with the difficulty to conciliate phenomenal properties and physicalism; (2) consider the solutions proposed by Michael Tye to this problem; and (3) revisit the knowledge argument in the light of Tye’s PANIC theory. I conclude this paper by comparing Tye’s proposal with the distintion between reflexive and referential content, proposed by John Perry.

abstracta, Bd. 1 Nr. 2 (2005)