Chapter 10: What Chapter 10: What am I?am I?

IntroductionIntroduction What does the word What does the word I I refer to?refer to? Mind-body problem Mind-body problem – What are the mind and – What are the mind and

body, and how are they related to each other?body, and how are they related to each other? Dualistic theories hold that the mind and body Dualistic theories hold that the mind and body

are two different substancesare two different substances Interactionism Interactionism – causal relationship between – causal relationship between

mind and body; mental events can cause mind and body; mental events can cause physical eventsphysical events

Parallelism Parallelism – A physical event occurs, and – A physical event occurs, and parallel to that event, but uncaused by it, a parallel to that event, but uncaused by it, a mental event occursmental event occurs

Epiphenomenalism Epiphenomenalism – mental events are by-– mental events are by-products of physical eventsproducts of physical events

IntroductionIntroduction Monistic solutions to the mind-body problem deny Monistic solutions to the mind-body problem deny

that the mind and body are two different that the mind and body are two different substancessubstances

Identity theory Identity theory – mental events are identical – mental events are identical with brain processes in much the same way as with brain processes in much the same way as lightening flashes are identical with electrical lightening flashes are identical with electrical dischargesdischarges

Idealism reduces matter to mindIdealism reduces matter to mind Double-aspect theory Double-aspect theory – mind and body should – mind and body should

be thought of as qualities, characteristics, or be thought of as qualities, characteristics, or aspectsaspects

Neutral monism Neutral monism – view that what exists is – view that what exists is neither mental nor physical but neutral neither mental nor physical but neutral

You are Your MindYou are Your Mind

Descartes believed that physical objects Descartes believed that physical objects exist outside our mindsexist outside our minds

He believed that he existed because he He believed that he existed because he thoughtthought

Believed in the existence of a perfectly Believed in the existence of a perfectly good Godgood God

Material things are essentially different Material things are essentially different from mental thingsfrom mental things

The mind exists as a mental substanceThe mind exists as a mental substance

Meditation VIMeditation VIRené DescartesRené Descartes

Establishes mind-body dualism and Establishes mind-body dualism and supports interactionism. The mind supports interactionism. The mind causally interacts with the body.causally interacts with the body.

The essence of a person is that they The essence of a person is that they are a thinking thing (mind or soul)are a thinking thing (mind or soul)

The person is distinct from the body, The person is distinct from the body, which is an extended and unthinking which is an extended and unthinking thingthing

Body is divisible, but mind is indivisibleBody is divisible, but mind is indivisible

You Are an Embodied You Are an Embodied SelfSelf

How can an immaterial substance that is How can an immaterial substance that is nonspatial cause a material substance nonspatial cause a material substance (the spatial body) to do anything?(the spatial body) to do anything?

If the mind can act on physical bodies, it If the mind can act on physical bodies, it contradicts the law of the conservation contradicts the law of the conservation of energyof energy

Can human behavior be explained in Can human behavior be explained in physical terms according to the activity physical terms according to the activity of the brain?of the brain?

Body, Mind, and GenderBody, Mind, and GenderEve Browning ColeEve Browning Cole

Critiques Descartes from a feminist Critiques Descartes from a feminist philosophyphilosophy

Argues that Descartes’ pays insufficient Argues that Descartes’ pays insufficient attention to the fact that self is attention to the fact that self is embodied and exists in a network of embodied and exists in a network of relations to othersrelations to others

Descartes’ ideas have reinforced Descartes’ ideas have reinforced masculine notion of self as autonomous, masculine notion of self as autonomous, detached, and dominant over matterdetached, and dominant over matter

You Are a Computing You Are a Computing MachineMachine

What if our conscious life is the What if our conscious life is the result of a particular pattern of rules result of a particular pattern of rules (software) being imposed on fixed (software) being imposed on fixed structures (hardware)?structures (hardware)?

Behaviorism Behaviorism – materialistic theory – materialistic theory of the mind; so-called mental events of the mind; so-called mental events are the same thing as behaviors or are the same thing as behaviors or dispositions to behavedispositions to behave

Computing the MindComputing the MindBruce H. HinrichsBruce H. Hinrichs

Argues that the brain, which creates the Argues that the brain, which creates the mind, is a computing machinemind, is a computing machine

The brain is a computer in that it is a The brain is a computer in that it is a computational devicecomputational device

How does the brain create a mind?How does the brain create a mind? The mind is a property or quality of the brainThe mind is a property or quality of the brain The scientific answer would examine the physical The scientific answer would examine the physical

activities of the brain that create a mental activities of the brain that create a mental experienceexperience

The brain is a physical thing in the natural world, The brain is a physical thing in the natural world, but the mind is personal experiences produced but the mind is personal experiences produced when brains are in a state of awareness of their when brains are in a state of awareness of their own functioningown functioning

You Are Not a MachineYou Are Not a Machine

Can computers have consciousness?Can computers have consciousness? Functionalism Functionalism – mental states are – mental states are

defined completely by their functions defined completely by their functions or causal relationsor causal relations

““the mind is to the brain as a the mind is to the brain as a computer’s software is to its hardware”computer’s software is to its hardware”

The behavior of the computer is not The behavior of the computer is not explained by it’s physics and chemistry explained by it’s physics and chemistry (hardware)(hardware)

Can Computers Think?Can Computers Think?John SearleJohn Searle

Argues that machines cannot think (be Argues that machines cannot think (be conscious) and thus, by implication, that conscious) and thus, by implication, that functionalistic theories of the mind failfunctionalistic theories of the mind fail

The Chinese room argument – shows that The Chinese room argument – shows that computers will never be able to produce computers will never be able to produce consciousness and hence the human brain consciousness and hence the human brain must be significantly unlike a computer must be significantly unlike a computer because the brain can cause consciousnessbecause the brain can cause consciousness

Computers manipulate symbols according to Computers manipulate symbols according to syntax, or a set of rules, but that does not syntax, or a set of rules, but that does not mean that they understand the meaning mean that they understand the meaning (semantics) of the symbols(semantics) of the symbols

Can Computers Think?Can Computers Think?John SearleJohn Searle

Premises: Premises: Brains cause mindsBrains cause minds Syntax is not sufficient for semanticsSyntax is not sufficient for semantics Computer programs are entirely defined by their formal, Computer programs are entirely defined by their formal,

or syntactical structureor syntactical structure Minds have mental, semantic contentsMinds have mental, semantic contents

Conclusions:Conclusions: No computer program by itself can give a system a mindNo computer program by itself can give a system a mind The way that brain functions cause minds cannot be The way that brain functions cause minds cannot be

solely in virtue of running a computer programsolely in virtue of running a computer program If anything other than the brain caused the mind, it would If anything other than the brain caused the mind, it would

have to have causal powers equivalent to the brainhave to have causal powers equivalent to the brain Any artifact we might build would have to have powers Any artifact we might build would have to have powers

equivalent to the brain in order to produce equivalent equivalent to the brain in order to produce equivalent mental statesmental states

You Are MeatYou Are Meat

What if intelligent, conscious, and What if intelligent, conscious, and feeling robots visited earth. Would feeling robots visited earth. Would they be amazed that flesh and blood they be amazed that flesh and blood humans can think, feel, and humans can think, feel, and communicate?communicate?

They’re Made Out of MeatThey’re Made Out of MeatTerry BissonTerry Bisson

Science fiction in which robots visit Science fiction in which robots visit a planet to study creatures that have a planet to study creatures that have been sending radio messages into been sending radio messages into outer spaceouter space