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TODAY’S LECTURE
In Today’s Lecture we will:
1.1.Briefly recap our investigation into the mind-body problemBriefly recap our investigation into the mind-body problem
2.2.Outline and become introduced to the concept of Outline and become introduced to the concept of MaterialismMaterialism
3.3.Examine and discuss three materialistic theories of the mind:Examine and discuss three materialistic theories of the mind:
I.I. BehaviorismBehaviorism
II.II. The Mind-Brain Identity TheoryThe Mind-Brain Identity Theory
III.III. FunctionalismFunctionalism
4.4.Critique and critically evaluate these theoriesCritique and critically evaluate these theories
RECAP
So far in phi 100...
oWe are continuing our investigation into the metaphysical question, We are continuing our investigation into the metaphysical question, what is reality?what is reality?
oWe have considered a number of possible answers:We have considered a number of possible answers:o Thales: Reality is composed of waterThales: Reality is composed of watero Plato: Reality is composed of two worlds; Being and BecomingPlato: Reality is composed of two worlds; Being and Becomingo Descartes & Locke: Reality is composed of physical and mental Descartes & Locke: Reality is composed of physical and mental
substancessubstanceso Berkeley: Reality is composed of ideas or mindBerkeley: Reality is composed of ideas or mind
oWe investigated an important consequence of Descartes’ dualism:We investigated an important consequence of Descartes’ dualism:The mind-body problemThe mind-body problem
oAnd a number of attempts to resolve the problem:And a number of attempts to resolve the problem:o Descartes: Tried to find the location in which mind and body Descartes: Tried to find the location in which mind and body
interactinteracto Ryle: Denies the problem itself is validRyle: Denies the problem itself is valido Berkeley: Reduced reality to one substance; mindBerkeley: Reduced reality to one substance; mind
A Dualist View of RealityA Dualist View of Reality
MentalMental
PhysicalPhysical
Taste of Ice Taste of Ice CreamCream
Neurones Neurones and and
Chemicals in Chemicals in the Brainthe Brain
Experience of Experience of Seeing Seeing
something Redsomething Red
Brain Activity in Brain Activity in Response to Response to
Stimuli Stimuli
Thought About Thought About the Cow in the the Cow in the
RoadRoad
Physical and Physical and Behavioural Behavioural ResponsesResponses
Unbridgeable Gap
RECAP
Idealistic MonismIdealistic Monism
Everything in reality is composed of Mind or IdeasEverything in reality is composed of Mind or Ideas
Neurones Neurones and and
Chemicals in Chemicals in the Brainthe Brain
Brain Activity in Brain Activity in Response to Response to
Stimuli Stimuli
Physical and Physical and Behavioural Behavioural ResponsesResponses
Mind/IdeasMind/Ideas
Thought About Thought About the Cow in the the Cow in the
RoadRoad
Experience of Experience of Seeing something Seeing something
RedRed
Taste of Ice Taste of Ice CreamCream
RECAP
Materialistic MonismMaterialistic Monism
Everything in reality is composed of material (physical) Everything in reality is composed of material (physical) substancesubstance
Neurones Neurones and and
Chemicals in Chemicals in the Brainthe Brain
Brain Activity in Brain Activity in Response to Response to
Stimuli Stimuli
Physical and Physical and Behavioural Behavioural ResponsesResponses
PhysicalPhysicalThought About Thought About the Cow in the the Cow in the
RoadRoad
Experience of Experience of Seeing something Seeing something
RedRed
Taste of Ice Taste of Ice CreamCream
RECAP
MATERIALISM
Materialists Maintain the Following:
EverythingEverything in reality is composed of in reality is composed of one one thing: thing: physical matter physical matter
Matter exhibits the following properties:Matter exhibits the following properties:
Located in space and timeLocated in space and timeObservableObservableQuantifiableQuantifiableMotionMotionDivisibleDivisible
EverythingEverything can be investigated scientifically can be investigated scientifically
MATERIALISM
The implications of Materialism are:
There is There is no thingno thing in reality composed of anything other than matter: in reality composed of anything other than matter:
Rules out the existence of anything supernaturalRules out the existence of anything supernatural
Minds, beliefs, thoughts, etc. are nothing more than matterMinds, beliefs, thoughts, etc. are nothing more than matter
There is nothing more to reality than what can be observedThere is nothing more to reality than what can be observed
This raises some important questions:This raises some important questions:
What is the ontological status of mental events?What is the ontological status of mental events?
Are mental events entirely reducible to physical events?Are mental events entirely reducible to physical events?
If distinct, how can we explain their causality?If distinct, how can we explain their causality?
MATERIALISM
Mechanistic Materialism
Maintained that humans are composed entirely of physical matterMaintained that humans are composed entirely of physical matter
All matter is governed by physical, causal laws of natureAll matter is governed by physical, causal laws of nature
All human actions are, therefore, governed by causal laws of natureAll human actions are, therefore, governed by causal laws of nature
The consequence is that the universe, including humans and The consequence is that the universe, including humans and animals is one big machineanimals is one big machine
MATERIALISM
Laws of NatureLaws of Nature
1.1.A body remains at rest or in motion with a constant velocity A body remains at rest or in motion with a constant velocity unless acted on by an outside forceunless acted on by an outside force
2.2.The sum of the forces acting on a body is equal to the product of The sum of the forces acting on a body is equal to the product of its mass and accelerationits mass and acceleration
3.3.For every action there is an equal opposite reactionFor every action there is an equal opposite reaction
To be continued next lecture...
BEHAVIORISM
Behaviorism maintains:Behaviorism maintains:
All statements about an individual’s mental life can be translated All statements about an individual’s mental life can be translated into statements about observable behaviors.into statements about observable behaviors.
Anything else is mere nonsense.Anything else is mere nonsense.
Behaviorism comes in three forms:Behaviorism comes in three forms:
Soft BehaviorismSoft Behaviorism
Hard BehaviorismHard Behaviorism
Logical BehaviorismLogical Behaviorism
BEHAVIORISM
Soft BehaviorismSoft Behaviorism
oDoes not deny or affirm the existence of mental eventsDoes not deny or affirm the existence of mental events
oLimits its inquiries to observable, describable and quantifiable Limits its inquiries to observable, describable and quantifiable behaviorsbehaviors
Logical BehaviorismLogical Behaviorism
oAdvocated by philosophers such as Gilbert RyleAdvocated by philosophers such as Gilbert Ryle
oQuestions the logic of ‘mental’ language, not the ontological status Questions the logic of ‘mental’ language, not the ontological status of the mind or mental eventsof the mind or mental events
BEHAVIORISM
Hard BehaviorismHard Behaviorism
oDefended by the psychologist B.F. SkinnerDefended by the psychologist B.F. Skinner
oMaintains that there is Maintains that there is nothingnothing beyond behavior, atoms in motion, beyond behavior, atoms in motion, laws of physics etc.laws of physics etc.
oDenies the existence of the mind, mental events, thoughts etc.Denies the existence of the mind, mental events, thoughts etc.
Man is not made into a machine by analyzing his behavior in mechanical terms. Early theories of behavior, as we have seen,
represented man as a push-pull automaton, close to the nineteenth-century notion of a machine, but progress has been
made. Man is a machine in the sense that he is a complex system behaving in lawful ways, but the complexity is
extraordinary. His capacity to adjust to contingencies of reinforcement will perhaps be eventually simulated by machines,
but this has not yet been done, and the living system thus simulated will remain unique in other ways.
(Textbook, p 151)
Hard BehaviorismHard Behaviorism
There is no such thing as the mind, mental events, thoughts There is no such thing as the mind, mental events, thoughts etc.etc.
Neurones Neurones and and
Chemicals in Chemicals in the Brainthe Brain
Brain Activity in Brain Activity in Response to Response to
Stimuli Stimuli
Physical and Physical and Behavioural Behavioural ResponsesResponses
PhysicalPhysicalThought About Thought About the Cow in the the Cow in the
RoadRoad
Experience of Experience of Seeing something Seeing something
RedRed
Taste of Ice Taste of Ice CreamCream
RECAP
IDENTITY THEORY
The Mind-Brain Identity Theory MaintainsThe Mind-Brain Identity Theory Maintains
Mental statesMental states (thoughts, sensations etc.) are (thoughts, sensations etc.) are identical identical to to brain brain statesstates
X = YX = Y
Does not deny the existence of mental statesDoes not deny the existence of mental states
Mental language refers to Mental language refers to real entitiesreal entities
These These entities entities are neurological statesare neurological statesMental StatesBrain states =
Activity in R1 Thought about chair
Neuron firing C1 Experience of seeing red
Chemical event P Remembering an old tune
IDENTITY THEORY
Some Identity RelationshipsSome Identity Relationships
WaterWater is composed of two parts hydrogen
one part oxygen (H2O)
LightningLightning is an electrical discharge from cloud to
cloud to surface
The Morning Star
The morning star is the evening star
George Orwell (Author of 1984)
George Orwell is Eric Arthur Blair
IDENTITY THEORY
Some Mental-Physical Identity RelationshipsSome Mental-Physical Identity Relationships
Experience of Eating Ice-Cream
Neurological Event X
Thought About a Pig in the
Road
Neurological Event Y
Sensation of Pain
Neurological Event P
Desire to Eat Candy Bar Neurological Event Q
FUNCTIONALISM
Functionalism Functionalism
Minds Minds andand Mental States Mental States are properties of are properties of systemssystems
The mind is not a thing, or reducible to any single part of a systemThe mind is not a thing, or reducible to any single part of a system
A system is any combination of objects that fulfils A system is any combination of objects that fulfils functionsfunctions
A function is a specific A function is a specific task task or or processprocess
Functions are completed using a process of input and output with Functions are completed using a process of input and output with reference to mediating inner statesreference to mediating inner states
Functions include:Functions include: Carrying out mathematical equationsCarrying out mathematical equations
Giving lectures on functionalismGiving lectures on functionalism
Brewing coffee at 6 a.m.Brewing coffee at 6 a.m.
Maintaining temperaturesMaintaining temperatures
FUNCTIONALISM
Multiple RealizabilityMultiple Realizability
Any system that performs functions has a mindAny system that performs functions has a mind
A system can be composed of any combination of objects or A system can be composed of any combination of objects or materialsmaterials
It does not matter how such functions are carried outIt does not matter how such functions are carried out
FUNCTIONALISM
Mental StatesMental States
Mental States are features of a systemMental States are features of a system
They are They are realizedrealized by, but not reducible to, lower level parts of the by, but not reducible to, lower level parts of the systemsystem
Mental states are defined by their causal role within a systemMental states are defined by their causal role within a system
Lower Level
System Level
It is 72 F
Today is Tuesday
It is 6 a.m.
I am hungry
I am low on power
FUNCTIONALISM
Systems and FunctionsSystems and Functions
Would you like a
cheeseburger?
Am I Hungry?
No
Input OutputSystem-level Mental States
No Thank you
Yes
Is It Cheese Steak
Wednesday?
No
Yes
No thanks I am having a
cheese steak for dinner
Yes Please!
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