Dualist theory issues

Question 1

Interactionalist dualism

Answer 1

mind can interact with the physical, physical can interact with mind

Question 2

Epiphenomenalist dualism

Answer 2

physical world can cause mental states but mental cannot cause changes in physical

Question 3

Conceptual interaction problem

Answer 3

Aims to show that mind body interaction is impossible
P1-Its inconcievable for two things to casually interact unless their surfaces come to contact
P2-According to sub dualism, mind is unextended so has no surface
C1- Therefore its inconcievable for the mind to interact with the body
P3-What’s inconcievable is impossible
C2-Mind body interaction si impossible

Question 4

Empirical interaction problem

Answer 4

Aims to show how dualist interactionalism is false by showing how there is no causal role for a non physical mind to play
P1-All physical events have phyiscal causes
P2-Humans action is only physical events
C-Human actions are purely physical events
C2-Human actions do not have non physical causes and dualist interactionalism is false

Question 5

Problem of other minds

Answer 5

I have direct and privaleged access to my mind through introspection
I cannot inspect the contents of anyone elses mind, mine are private
Because I can’t percieve other minds, I must infer the mental states of others from what i observe: their bodies and behaviour
The behavioural evidence is insufficient to establish others have minds at all

Question 6

Argument from analogy

Answer 6

Offers a solution to the problem of other minds through the analogy of ones mind
P1-I observe I have a mind
P2- I observe my mental states are systematically connected with my behaviour and states of my body
P3- I observe that other people with bodies like mine behave similarly to me
C-Its likely their bodies are connected to mental states too
C2-Likely that others have minds

Question 7

existence of other minds is the best hypothesis

Answer 7

Humans have complex behaviour
P2-If humans have minds then this explains their behaviour
P3-No available alternative theory which explains their behaviour
C-Therefore its likely humans have minds

Question 8

phenemonology of mental life (ag. ephiphenomenalism)

Answer 8

What could be more certain that the deliverances of consciousness and what more common expereince is there than of causal ineraction between conscious states
Eg. I go to the dentist because the pain in my tooth leads to this choice: one mental state causes a nother mental sta te
Denying this seems to be a affrant against facts which are revealed self evidently through experience