Philosophy of Mind - Mind/Body Introduction to Philosophy Jason M. Chang

Lecture outline 1. Mind/body dualism 2. Materialism views Behaviorism Mind-brain identity theory

About this view o Dominant historical view o Common sense view today o Among academics? Mind/body dualism Rene Descartes ( )

Claim #1: Human consists of two substances Mind/body dualism PHYSICAL SUBSTANCE (BODY) NONPHYSICAL SUBSTANCE (MIND)

Claim #2: Mind and body interact with each other Mind/body dualism Note: The type of mind/body dualism discussed here is interactive mind/body dualism. PHYSICAL SUBSTANCE (BODY) NONPHYSICAL SUBSTANCE (MIND)

Claim #3: Mental states are nonphysical states Mind/body dualism Thoughts Emotions Sensations -Intangible -Cannot be observed -No space or weight

Descartes’ conceivability argument Try to imagine a world in which: (1) The number 4 exists (2) The sum of 2+2 does not exist Can you do so? Mind/body dualism Impossible to imagine two identical things existing apart from each other

Descartes’ conceivability argument Imagine that you wake up one morning. You go to the bathroom and you look in the mirror. To your astonishment, you see nothing. You each up to feel your head, but you cannot feel anything. Mind/body dualism

Descartes’ conceivability argument (P1) We can imagine the mind existing without the body. (P2) We can imagine the body existing without the mind. (P3) If we can imagine two things existing without each other, they are not the same thing. Therefore, (C) The mind and the body are two separate things. Mind/body dualism

Descartes’ different features argument List the properties of: (1) The house of the U.S. president (2) The house on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Mind/body dualism Two identical things must have the same features

Mind/body dualism -Publicly observable THE MINDTHE BODY -Not publicly observable

Descartes’ different features argument (P1) The body has the feature of public. (P2) The mind has the feature of private. (P3) Things with different properties cannot be the same Therefore, (C) The mind and the body are two separate things. Mind/body dualism

The mind/body problem In the film Ghost, Patrick Swayze’s character is killed early in the film. His “spirit”, however, survives and roams around NY city. Swayze’s character tries to get in contact with his wife (Demi Moore) – if not by touching her, then writing note on a paper or moving an object in their apartment. However, Swayze’s character encounters a difficulty when trying to in contact with her. What is this difficulty? Mind/body dualism Film: Ghost (1990)

The mind/body problem Major ideas o Beliefs about causation o Mind/body dualism’s claims Mind/body dualism Film: Ghost (1990)

Mind/body dualism The mind/body problem The problem of explaining how an nonphysical substance (the mind) affects a physical substance (the body)

Alternatives to mind/body dualism

Nonphysical substance MATERIALISM (PHYSICALISM) Physical substance Problem – explaining how these interact

Background Major proponents o John Watson o BF Skinner o Gilbert Ryle Behaviorism Gilbert Ryle Note: The type of behaviorism discussed in this lecture is logical (aka analytical) behaviorism.

Behaviorism ANGER = internal mental state Claim #1: “Mental states” are simply behaviors Dualism’s account of anger Behaviorism’s account of anger ANGER = external behavior

Jane the yard duty Imagine Jane has yard duty at a preschool. She is surrounded by noisy children and one of them squirts water in her ear. As a result, Jane shouts. What does it mean to say Jane is “angry”? Behaviorism Jane the yard duty shouts

Behaviorism Kids screaming Internal mental state of anger Kids screaming Dualism Behaviorism Impose label “anger”

Behaviorism Internal mental state of anger Claim #2: Causes of behavior are external stimuli Dualism’s account of behavior Behaviorism’s account of behavior Jane shouts External stimuli Jane shouts

A dog salivates when presented food. But suppose that you present the food with a ringing bell. And you do this repeatedly. Now, take away the food and only ring the bell. What happens? Behaviorism What is the cause of the dog salivating?

Behaviorism Past experiences Trigger (bell ringing) Biological make-up Past experiences Trigger (Screaming kids) External factors External factors Biological make-up The dog’s behavior can be explained purely in terms of external factors NO NEED FOR INTERNAL MENTAL STATES A human’s behavior can be explained purely in terms of external factors NO NEED FOR INTERNAL MENTAL STATES

Objection Behaviorism says mental states are behaviors BUT some mental states do not translate into behaviors So mental states must exist independent of behaviors Behaviorism ANGRY

Type of theory o Materialism (physicalism 20 th century theory (1960s) o Coincides with rise in brain imaging (fMRI, EEG, etc) Mind-brain identity theory

Claim #1: Mental states exist independent of behavior How different from behaviorism How different from dualism Mind-brain identity theory

Claim #2: Mental states are brain states Mind-brain identity theory Computer game = functioning hardware

Mind-brain identity theory Mental state (anger) = physical state of brain

Reasons in favor of mind-brain identity theory Images from brain imaging (fMRI, EEG, etc) Stories of traumatic damage to the brain Surgery under local anesthesia Mind-altering drugs Mind-brain identity theory

Objection – the problem of subjectivity Main ideas behind objection o Mental states = physical states o Complete explanation o Complete explanation not possible Mind-brain identity theory

Objection – the problem of subjectivity Imagine that I can give you a complete, perfect, and precise description of the physical state of the brain of someone who is in love. Call this brain state B(Love). Have I given a complete description of the of mental state of “being in love”? Mind-brain identity theory

Physical state of the brain in love Mental state of being in love There is something that it is like to being in love A complete explanation of the brain state leaves out the subjective element of the mental state

Objection – the problem of subjectivity (P1) If mental states are identical to physical states, I should be able to give a complete explanation of a mental state in terms of its corresponding physical state. (P2) It is impossible to give a complete explanation of a mental state that refers only to physical states. Therefore, (C) Mental states and physical states are not identical. Mind-brain identity theory