1. Substance and Property Dualism Quick task: Fill in the gaps activity Quick task: Fill in the gaps activity https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=sT41wRA67PA

2. Metaphysics of mind  Substance: needs no other thing to exist  Dualism: there are two sorts of substance, mind (or soul) and matter  Mental properties are properties of a mental substance  Materialism: there is just one sort of thing, matter  Mental properties are properties of a material substance  Substance: needs no other thing to exist  Dualism: there are two sorts of substance, mind (or soul) and matter  Mental properties are properties of a mental substance  Materialism: there is just one sort of thing, matter  Mental properties are properties of a material substance

3. Materialism and mental properties  Substances can have different sorts of properties  Biological: swan  Colour: white  But both physical properties  Property dualism: mental properties are not physical properties  Substances can have different sorts of properties  Biological: swan  Colour: white  But both physical properties  Property dualism: mental properties are not physical properties Hmm…

4. Descartes’ dualism  The mind is a separate substance from the body.  What am I? I am a thing that thinks. I cannot doubt this, yet I can doubt whether I have a body. So I can be separated from a body.  The body has parts, the mind has no parts. So they are different kinds of thing.  The mind is a separate substance from the body.  What am I? I am a thing that thinks. I cannot doubt this, yet I can doubt whether I have a body. So I can be separated from a body.  The body has parts, the mind has no parts. So they are different kinds of thing. What was the famous quote?

5. Descartes’ dualism  René Descartes suggested that the body is spatial (exists in space) but non-conscious while the mind is conscious but non-spatial.  Descartes also suggested that the mind influences the body and controls its movements through the pineal gland at the back of the neck  He said when people die their body is left behind although their soul is able to continue with God.  René Descartes suggested that the body is spatial (exists in space) but non-conscious while the mind is conscious but non-spatial.  Descartes also suggested that the mind influences the body and controls its movements through the pineal gland at the back of the neck  He said when people die their body is left behind although their soul is able to continue with God.

6. Objections  Descartes has not shown that he (the mind) is a substance.  Just because Descartes can think of his mind existing without his body, this doesn’t mean that his mind really can exist without his body.  Cp. I think the Masked Man robbed the bank; I don’t think my father robbed the bank; Therefore, my father isn’t the Masked Man.  We can’t infer real possibility directly from what we can imagine.  Medical science has long-since disproved Descartes; idea  Descartes has not shown that he (the mind) is a substance.  Just because Descartes can think of his mind existing without his body, this doesn’t mean that his mind really can exist without his body.  Cp. I think the Masked Man robbed the bank; I don’t think my father robbed the bank; Therefore, my father isn’t the Masked Man.  We can’t infer real possibility directly from what we can imagine.  Medical science has long-since disproved Descartes; idea Can you think of your own example like the masked man to refute Descartes I think therefore I am – sticker for the most imaginary!!

7. Gilbert Ryle  Why does Gilbert Ryle reject Descartes’ philosophy?

8. Gilbert Ryle  Gilbert Ryle dismissed dualism as a theory about ‘a ghost [mind] in a machine [body]’. He felt that this separation of the mind and body was a ‘category mistake’. He explains that there is no hidden entity called "the mind" inside a mechanical apparatus called "the body”. The workings of the mind are not an independent mechanism that governs the workings of the body. The workings of the mind are not distinct from the actions of the body; they may rather be described as a way of explaining the actions of the body.  He believes that an individual is a physical living body and no more, and so when the body dies that’s it, the whole person is dead.  Gilbert Ryle dismissed dualism as a theory about ‘a ghost [mind] in a machine [body]’. He felt that this separation of the mind and body was a ‘category mistake’. He explains that there is no hidden entity called "the mind" inside a mechanical apparatus called "the body”. The workings of the mind are not an independent mechanism that governs the workings of the body. The workings of the mind are not distinct from the actions of the body; they may rather be described as a way of explaining the actions of the body.  He believes that an individual is a physical living body and no more, and so when the body dies that’s it, the whole person is dead.

9. Jackson’s knowledge argument  Mary, a neuroscientist, has never seen colour, but knows all about colour perception  Mary doesn’t know what it is like to see red - so, although Mary knows all the physical facts about seeing red, there is a fact (of consciousness) Mary doesn’t know  Therefore, properties of consciousness are not physical properties  Mary, a neuroscientist, has never seen colour, but knows all about colour perception  Mary doesn’t know what it is like to see red - so, although Mary knows all the physical facts about seeing red, there is a fact (of consciousness) Mary doesn’t know  Therefore, properties of consciousness are not physical properties

10. Reply  Mary doesn’t learn a new fact, but a new way of thinking about an old fact. She now knows the fact of what happens in the brain through introspection.  On concepts and properties: the same fact (the glass contains water) can be thought of in different ways (the glass contains H 2 O).  Mary doesn’t learn a new fact, but a new way of thinking about an old fact. She now knows the fact of what happens in the brain through introspection.  On concepts and properties: the same fact (the glass contains water) can be thought of in different ways (the glass contains H 2 O).

11. Zombies  Zombie (in philosophy, not voodoo!): a physical replica of a person, but without consciousness  A zombie has identical physical properties, but different mental properties - therefore mental properties aren’t physical properties  Zombies may not be physically possible, but they are logically possible  Zombie (in philosophy, not voodoo!): a physical replica of a person, but without consciousness  A zombie has identical physical properties, but different mental properties - therefore mental properties aren’t physical properties  Zombies may not be physically possible, but they are logically possible

12. Reply  Zombies are not possible - that we can imagine them isn’t enough (see objection to Descartes)  Imagine that water is not H 2 O - it seems we can, but in fact, this is impossible  There could be something just like water, but if it isn’t H 2 O, it isn’t water  Zombies are not possible - that we can imagine them isn’t enough (see objection to Descartes)  Imagine that water is not H 2 O - it seems we can, but in fact, this is impossible  There could be something just like water, but if it isn’t H 2 O, it isn’t water