Chapter 2: The Philosophical Approach

Question 1

What are two branches of philosophy we concern ourselves with?

Answer 1

Metaphysics (nature of reality) and Epistemology (study of knowledge)

Question 2

What is the mind-body problem?

Answer 2

The mind-body problem addresses how mental properties are linked to physical properties.

Question 3

What is Monism?

Answer 3

The belief that there is only one kind of substance in the universe

Question 4

What is Dualism?

Answer 4

The belief that both mental and physical substances are possible (Plato)

Question 5

What is Idealism?

Answer 5

Idealism is a form of Monism. It supports that there is only the mental realm that is a result of God’s experience (Berkeley)

Question 6

What is Solipsism?

Answer 6

Solipsism is a from of Monism. It supports that there is only the mental realm that is a result of every individual’s experience.

Question 7

What is Physicalism or Materialism?

Answer 7

Physicalism or Materialism is a form of Monism. It supports that everything that exists is physical. Therefore, the operations of the mind are simply seen as operations of the brain. (Aristotle, Democritus)

Question 8

What is Reductive and Non Reductive Physicalism?

Answer 8

Reductive Physicalism supports that all physical processes in the brain are able to account for all mentalistic levels of description.
Non Reductive Physicalism supports that one cannot do away with mentalistic description.

Question 9

What is Parallelism?

Answer 9

Parallelism is a form of Dualism. It supports that the mind and body are distinct and they don’t interact with each other.

Question 10

What is Epiphenomenalism?

Answer 10

Epiphenomenalism is a form of Dualism. It supports that the mind is like a side-effect to brain’s operations.

Question 11

What is Interactionism?

Answer 11

Interactionism is a form of Dualism. It supports that the body affects the mind as much as the mind affects the body.

Question 12

What is Functionalism?

Answer 12

Functionalism supports that mental states might not be reduced to any particular physical state. This means that there might be a wide variety of possible physical states capable of producing any given mental state. Minds that are not based on brains can exist. (for example in computers)

Question 13

What is the Qualia phenomenon?

Answer 13

Qualia phenomenon is the phenomenal property of experience (not as “conscious” as an actual experience)

Question 14

What is Determinism?

Answer 14

Determinism is the view that all physical actions are caused or determined by the sum total of all prior events.

Question 15

What are three implications of Hume’s billiard balls model?

Answer 15

Determinism, Replication, Prediction

Question 16

What is Rand’s entity model of causation?

Answer 16

This model underlies the view of free will. According to it, entities with specific identities are the cause of actions.

Question 17

What is Compatibilism?

Answer 17

A belief that free will and determinism can be reconciled and/or compatible with each other.

Question 18

What is Incompatibilism?

Answer 18

According to incompatibilism, free will and determinism are irreconcilable meaning that they cannot be both simultaneously true.

Question 19

What is Nativism?

Answer 19

According to nativism, a significant body of knowledge is innate or built in an organism

Question 20

Is Rationalism similar to Nativism?

Answer 20

Yes. Rationalism, however, also supports innate ideas along with innate knowledge.

Question 21

What is Empiricism?

Answer 21

Empiricism support that we acquire knowledge by through experience. (favors nurture over nature) (John Locke)

Question 22

What is the Knowledge Acquisition Debate?

Answer 22

Knowledge Acquisition Debate is the fundamental question of how we acquire knowledge

Question 23

What do evolutionary psychologists support in terms of knowledge acquisition?

Answer 23

They believe that innate knowledge exists due to the development of adaptive survival-related cognitive abilities.

Question 24

Is our consciousness unitary or divided?

Answer 24

Unitary! Our brain seems to have no single space or time where consciousness seems to happen.

Question 25

What are two different neuroscience views about consciousness?

Answer 25

1) Consciousness results from the coordinated activity of a population of neurons in the brain.
2) There are neurons specifically devoted to produce consciousness

Question 26

What is Dennett’s theory on consciousness? (IN DEPTH section)

Answer 26

There is no central space where consciousness happens but multiple mental events occur in parallel