Mind and Body: Reductive Accounts of the Min: Functionalism

Question 1

what is funcationalism

Answer 1

• the theory that the condition for being any specific mental state should be given by the functional role of the state.
• what is important is what the mental state does
• not its internal constitution but its function within the subjects cognitive system.
• identity of a given mental state-terms of the casual relationship the state had with environmental stimuli which produce it.
• mental states are multiply realisable. Two or more physical systems with different physical constitutions can be functionally isomorphic (do the same thing) Example: machines made of different materials can still preform the same functions.

Question 2

what is analytic functionalism

Answer 2

• or conceptual functionalism
• the attempt to develop an analysis of mental concepts on functionalist terms.
• providing a topic-neutral, functional or casual role analysis of mental concepts
• this is to avoid the objection- that identifying mental states in one way and physical states in another invites property dualism.
• if one can provide a purely functionalism description of the concepts we ordinarily take to be mental.
• Pain for example regardless of internal state should be analysed in terms of a casual relationship between these internal states and outward behaviour.

Question 3

what is physo-functionalism

Answer 3

• Putham-arguably an important strand.
• comparing mental states to machines-same computer software runs on different computers and the same applied to mental states.
• mental state: physiological state that preforms a casual role in producing behaviour in relation to external stimuli.
• Turing test-possible for a computer to answer Qs in a way which made it seem human
• Putham argued that any system or creature that is minded can be regarded like the Turing machine-as a a system operating to a specific set of instructions

Question 4

what is teleological functionalism

Answer 4

• imposes teleological requirements on the functionalist realisation of a mental state.
• a mental state plays the functional role that it does because its functional components have developed for this process.

Question 5

what are the strengths of functionalism?

Answer 5

• seen as an improvement on other materialist theories
• -less species-chauvinistic
• different neurological constitution can experience the same mental episodes we do.
• Example: Mary’s belief that it is going to be sunny should be seen in terms of Mary’s disposition to for example look for sunglasses will only be true if she wishes to protect her eyes. A more precise account. Because it accounts for the casual relationship between perceptual stimuli and other mental states-in this case believing then wanting to protect ones eyes.
• they’re involved in up-to-date science
• what intelligent tasks a computer can preform
• cognitive studies on how minds store and process information

Question 6

what objections are there to funcationalism

Answer 6

-many come from the functionalist background and problems with other theories eg identity came sometimes be applied

Question 7

the problem of liberalism

Answer 7

• type identity theory was too restrictive however this is too liberal
• Donald and the car example
• both Donald and the car run functionally equivalent distress processes. However it would be too liberal to suggest that the car can be proud or distressed. The intentionality is missing from the car for it to have a mental state.
• functionalists would treat something like distress as simple correspondence between an individual creature or systems perceptual stimuli and internal structural states. With behaviour on one side and defining input/state/output function of a programme on the other side.
• almost anything could be made to correlate in that way because what is missing is qualia subjectiveness

Question 8

the problem of qualia

Answer 8

• absence of qualia
• as qualia cannot be captured by functional characterisation of mentality-mental states in terms of their casual relationship with perceptual stimuli, other states and behaviour.
• what i see as violet you see as red. However i have been nurtured to call my violet experiences red we are both functionally equivalent in respects to our colour experiences (traffic lights) qulia aspect is not realised.
• china mind:each citizen of china is given the equivalent of a sensory input from the artificial body-they are instructed what to do and when via a radio-collectively this makes up a mind -however the blockhead would not have mental states or qualia

Question 9

the problem of intentionality

Answer 9

• Chinese room
• Putham- twin earth evervything has a different physical structure so although both drink water ours is H2O theirs is xyz. SO FUNCTIONALLY IDENTICAL IN WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT WATER BUT THE PROCESS BEHIND IS DIFFERENT.

Question 10

does functionalism involve an explanatory gap?

Answer 10

• explains for at most structure and function
• does not explain consciousness
• if something cannot be explained physically it is not physical
• it is wrong.

Question 11

psyco-functionalism

Answer 11

• uses cognitive psychology
• systems with psychological states information processing systems
• behaviour is the result of interconnected functional components
• physiological states should be viewed as information processing systems