Lecture 6: Eliminative Materialism

Question 1

Churchland on mental discourse

Answer 1

MD is just folk theory that we will overcome, there are no minds

Question 2

what does Churchland target?

Answer 2

propositional attitudes

Question 3

eliminative materialism

Answer 3

mental phenomena turn out to be brain phenomena and don’t exist

Question 4

key tenants of eliminative materialism

Answer 4

• FP is a theory
• FP is a bad theory

Question 5

folk psychology as a theory

Answer 5

• We use mental states mainly to explain & predict how twm behave
• Meaning of mental state terms are given by FP laws (theoretical laws)
• We can understand the philosophy of mind problems if think of FP as a theory eg belief in other minds, solutions to the mind-body problem

Question 6

folk psychology as a bad theory

Answer 6

• Less explanatory successes compared to explanatory failures
• Hasn’t progressed over time
• Doesn’t fit with science as a whole: not reducible to particle physics

Question 7

what does eliminative materialism propose we should do with folk psychology?

Answer 7

replace it with cognitive neuroscience

Question 8

objections/responses to eliminative materialism

Answer 8

• FP is not an explanatory theory in the same sense as neuroscience, not competing: FP idealizes the world, not causal in the same way as neuroscience
• Even if explanatory, FP is not an inadequate theory: vindicate FP (Fodor), challenge Churchland’s view of science
• Even if explanatory and inadequate, we can’t replace it & mental states still exist: we can’t do without FP in practice, we can reconceive MS (not dismiss them)