functionalism

Question 1

what is functionalism

Answer 1

all mental states can be characterised in terms of functional roles which can be multiply realised

Question 2

what is the functional role of pain

Answer 2

an unpleasant reaction which causes the organism to get away from the thing thats causing it harm.

Question 3

hilary putmans- nature of mental state
arguments against type identity
knife example

Answer 3

the key feature of a mental state is the ‘function’
we can say the a knifes function is to cut things. - a knife can be made of wood, plastic or metal, as long as it performs the same function, it is a knife

Question 4

putmans circularity argument against behaviourism

Answer 4

B is restricted to analysing mental states through behaviour, but the same mental state can be realised by any behaviour- this is too simplistic.
functionalism avoids the problem as it more than behaviours. Mental states can cause other mental states. pain serves as a function to cause desire to stop pain. avoids circularity .

Question 5

problem- rules out inverted spectrum

Answer 5

If functionalism is true, then two functionally identical mental states are the same mental state
My mental state when I look at the sky is functionally identical to yours but phenomenally different (inverted colours- different qualia)
Therefore our two mental states are not the same mental state
Therefore functionalism is false

Question 6

what is a great definition for functionalism
key words
doctrine, internal constitution, system

Answer 6

Functionalism is the doctrine that what makes something a thought, desire, pain (or any other type of mental state) depends not on its internal constitution, but solely on its function, or the role it plays, in the cognitive system of which it is a part. More precisely, functionalist theories take the identity of a mental state to be determined by its causal relations to sensory stimulations, other mental states, and behavior.