Metaphysics of the Mind Flashcards
Substance
A thing that can exist on its own, independently of anything else.
Monists
Believes that there is only one substance in the universe, matter
Dualists
Believes that there are two substances in the universe, matter and non-physical substances
Qualia
The subjective or qualitative properties of experiences
Phenomenology
The study of conscious experiences from the first-personal point of view (such as thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations and qualia)
Intentionality
The power of minds and mental states to be about, to represent, or to stand for, things, properties and states of affairs
Infallibility
I cannot be mistaken about them.
Introspective access
I can access my thoughts easily in a way that
you cannot access my thoughts; my thoughts
are first-personal
Immediate access
I don’t have to wait a while until I realise what I’m thinking
Ineffability
The incapability to express my thoughts in words
Intrinsic nature
They cannot be broken down into parts.
Substance Dualism/Cartesian Dualism (Descartes)
Humans are compositions of physical (the brain) and non-physical (the mind) substances. These substances are intermingled, yet distinct
Leibniz’s Law of Identity
If A is the same thing as B, then whatever is true of A is also true of B
1 Strength of Substance Dualism
Cartesian dualism is popular among people who believe in life after death because it allows our minds (or souls) can exist after the physical body dies
2 Strength of Substance Dualism
We sometimes talk as if the mind and body are distinct
3 Strength of Substance Dualism
It seems hard to admit that the experience of falling in love, going on a rollercoaster and feeling grief-stricken are just neurochemical occurrences; QUALIA seem to be non-physical
CRITICISM OF SUBSTANCE DUALISM (The Problem of Counting Souls)
It is not clear why one mind is associated with one
body: one body could have numerous minds (souls)
and we wouldn’t know it
2 Criticism of Substance Dualism
The mind and body appear to interact (when I feel
sad, my eyes start to cry); it seems clear that my
mind is linked to the body- perhaps because the
mind is the brain.
Response to #2 Criticism of Substance Dualism
The mind and body are INTERMINGLED so that I can feel pain rather than just notice the injury. A human is a composite substance consisting of both a mind and a body.
Argument from Indivisibility
P1. The mind is indivisible whereas the body is divisible
P2. ((implied) If A is the same thing as B, then whatever is true of A will also be true of B (Leibniz’s Law)
C. Therefore, my mind and brain are different substances
1 Criticism of the Argument from Indivisibility (The Mind is Divisible)
P1. Descartes claimed that due to the fact that the mind is indivisible and the brain is divisible, they are distinct
P2. Patients of the “split-brain” operations act as if their hemispheres operate independently of each other, controlling one side of our body
P3. The patients act as if they have two minds
C1. This means that the mind is divisible, metaphysically and actually possible, meaning that divisibility can be a property of non-physical substances
P4. The division of the mind occurs at the same time as the two halves of the brain are separate
C2. This strongly suggests that the mind is the brain
Response to #1 Criticism of the Argument from Indivisibility
This “two minds working against other” phenomenon only occurs in a few split-brain patients, many acts as if they have a single mind
Rebuttal to the response to #1 Criticism of the Argument from Indivisibility
It could be said that people with multiple personalities
disorder have multiple minds- and yet they only have one brain
2 Criticism of the Argument from Indivisibility (Not Everything Physical is Divisibility)
P1. Descartes claimed that due to the fact that the mind is indivisible and the brain is divisible, they are distinct
P2. Not everything physical is divisible e.g. according to physics, subatomic particles are indivisible
C1. This means that not all physical things are divisible
P3. If not all physical things are divisible, then divisibility is not an essential property of physical things
C2. This means that the mind (like a subatomic particle) could be both physical and indivisible
Response to #2 Criticism of the Argument from Indivisibility
Descartes doesn’t need to show that all physical things
are divisible, only that brains are divisible whilst
minds are not
Rebuttal to the response to #2 Criticism of the Argument from Indivisibility
Using Descartes’ Conceivability Argument, we can conceive of a mind being divided. If we can conceive of said mind, then its metaphysically possible
