1. Topic 2: Mind-brain type identity theory
Physicalism
Topic 2: Mind-brain type identity theory
Learning objective:
To understand what is meant by mind-brain type identity theory
Key Words
Reductive
ontological

2. What do you see?

3. What’s the theory? The mind IS the brain
Mental states and processes are literally identical to physical ones (something in the brain)
Facts about the mind are reducible to facts about the brain – so thoughts, dreams etc are just brain states.
The identity theory hopes that research can and will eventually identify what each thought, feeling, desire is in the brain.

4. What does it mean to be identical?
The terms mind and brain refer to the same thing; their qualities are identical. But the identity theorist is not saying talk of the mind means the same as talk of the brain (because if I say I love my husband I do not mean certain neurons are firing in my brain). But as a matter of empirical fact they happen to be the same.
This is called an ‘ontological reduction’.

5. J. J. C. Smart ‘Sensations and Brain Processes’
Read the extract and highlight the important points.
Answer: How does type identity theory solve the problem of mental causation?
Read through pages of orange book and write down the strengths of the theory.

6. LB vs. IT
Which is more convincing at this stage and why?

7. Explain why the mind-brain type identity theory is a reductive theory of the mind (5 marks)
A full, clear and precise explanation. The student make logical links between precisely identified points with no redundancy 4
A clear explanation, with logical links, but some imprecision/redundancy 3
The substantive content of the explanation is present and there is an attempt at logical linking. But the explanation is not full and/or precise 2
One or two relevant points made, but not precisely. The logical is unclear 1
Fragmented points, with no logical structure
Nothing written worthy of credit