Minds And Bodies Flashcards
What are the two main factions of Monism?
Idealism and Materialism
What is Monism?
The idea that either only the mind or only the body exist - they do not co-exist
What is Idealism?
Idealism is a Monist theory which claims that the entire world is a product of our minds, and that nothing physical exists in reality
What is Materialism?
Materialism is a Monist theory which claims that only material things exist and that there is no such thing as the mind
What is Dualism?
Dualism is a theory that both the mind and the body exist and can interact with or influence one another
What are the two main branches of Dualism?
Substance Dualism and Property Dualism
What is Substance Dualism?
Substance Dualism is a Dualist theory which claims that the mind and body are made up of two different substances, and each cannot function as the other functions
What is Property Dualism?
Property Dualism is a Dualist theory which claims that while the mind and body are separate, the mind can only exist within the body (and so is reliant on it)
What is Cutaneous Rabbit Effect (CRE)?
Rapid taps to the wrist and elbow can creat the illusion of touches between the two, as if a rabbit was hopping between the two
What does the Cutaneous Rabbit Effect (CRE) illustrate?
CRE is used to illustrate how the brain can construct subjective experiences to make sense of physical sensation
What does the Cutaneous Rabbit Effect (CRE) indicate about the interaction between the mind and the body?
CRE shows that the mind can make assumptions and ghost sensations to explain real world stimuli. This indicates that the mind can influence the body
What does the Cutaneous Rabbit Effect indicate about the perception of time?
It indicates that time and space are jointly represented in the brain, and that the neural codes used to represent spatial locations may have temporal properties
What is the Interactive Substance theory?
The theory that mental and physical substances interact directly with each other
What is Psychophysical Parallelism?
Mental and Physical substances exist in parallel and do NOT interact with each other
What are the problems with Dualism?
~ How does interaction take place?
~ How does localisation occur?
~ How can physical changes cause changes in mental state?
What is Epiphenomenalism?
A Materialist theory that states the mind is a by-product of the brain, and cannot influence the brain
What is Identity Theory?
A Materialist Theory that claims that the state of the mind correlates with the state of the brain
What is Functionalism?
A theory which claims that mental states have a functional relationship with the body wrt behaviour. It can be applied to both Materialism and Dualism
What is Emergent Interactionism?
A Materialist theory that states the mind and brain interact, and through this interaction states of mind emerge from states of brain
Who were the developers and main supporters for Epiphenomenalism?
Latter day Behaviourists
What are the main principles of Epiphenomenalism?
~ Behaviourist theories of learning
~ Human behaviour is environmentally determined
What is the main criticism of Epiphenomenalism?
It does not explain or account for the fact our mental states appear to have causal power
What are the main problems with Identity Theory?
~ Too narrow an approach if limiting minds only to brains (should also expand to computers, etc. in theory)
~ A subjective experience is different from the brain state associated with it
What is Emergent Interactionism?
A late Materialist theory claiming that the mind interprets brain states and translates them into mental states.
What does Emergent Interactionism imply about causation?
It implies Downward Causation but ignores Upward Causation
What is the main criticism for Emergent Interactionism?
It implies Downward Causation but ignores Upward Causation. These two forms of causation complement each other and work in concert. They are not mutually exclusive
What is Functionalism?
Being in a particular mental state is determined by the functional role of the state
What is the Computational Mind?
The brain is a computer (hardware) and the mind is a program (software)
What is the criticism for Functionalism?
Conscious states can not be exhaustively analysed in terms of function
