Final Exam: Philosophy of Mind

Question 1

What are the positions in the Mind/Body problem?

Answer 1

Question 2

How do Functionalism, Identity theory and Dualism differentiate on their perspective on the identity of physical and mental types and tokens?

Answer 2

Question 3

What is mentalism?

Answer 3

The view that mental states are inner (generally unobservable) states which cause behaviour and are the effects of physical stimuli

Question 4

What is the mind/body problem?

Answer 4

• explaining the relationship between the mental and the physical

Question 5

What is materialism?

Answer 5

• The view that the mind is a part of the material world which is all there is.

Question 6

What is dualism?

Answer 6

• Two kinds of objects: mental and physical, mind and matter or different things.
  
  • mentalism is correct

Question 7

What is mind/brain identity theory?

Answer 7

• The view that mind and brain are identical.
• Materialism view.

Question 8

What is cartesian dualism?

Answer 8

• The view that the mind is a separate entitiy and a mental object.
• The mind is in causal interaction with matter (the brain and body)
• Invented by Descartes

Question 9

What is Leibniz Law?

Answer 9

• If X = Y then any property of X is a property of Y, and vice versa
  
  • If two things are equal in all properties, they are identical.
  • If not, then not.

Question 10

Which 4 arguments does Descartes give for cartesian Dualism?

Answer 10

1. Immortality
   
   • The mind is immortal.
   • The body is not.
   • Thus, mind and body must be separate.
2. Ability to doubt
   
   • I cannot doubt that I have a mind.
   • I can doubt, that I have a body.
   • Therefore, mind and body are separate.
     
     • Problem: being able to doubt somehting is not a property of the respective thing, it comes down to your perception.
3. Spatial attributes
   
   • The mind has not spatial attributes (e.g. weight)
   • The body does
   • Therefore, mind and body are distinct.
     
     • Problem: How can we prove that the mind has no spatial attributes without begging the question?
4. Conceiving and possibility
   
   • I can conceive of my mind existing without my body
   • Therefore, it is possible for my mind to exist without my body
   • Suppose mind=body (brain)
   • Then it would be impossible for my mind to exist without my body
   • Since it is possible (by (2)), mind and body are distinct

Question 11

How does Descartes explain the causal relationship between the mental object mind and the physical world/body?

Answer 11

• He says it is unexplicable.