Philosophy of Mind - PRACTICUM

8/2/2019 Philosophy of Mind - PRACTICUM

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Philosophy of Mind



Brief History

Metaphysics

Epistemology Philosophy of Language

Philosophy of Mind



Metaphysics What’s out there?



Epistemology

How can I know what’s out there?



Philosophy of LanguageWhat do you mean by “what is out

there”?



Philosophy of Mind

What can I know?



The Mind

Supplementary Role

Central Role



The Questions

• What is the nature of the Mind?



• What are the distinguishing factors of the

Mind?



• How does the Mind interact with the Body?



MIND’s Existence

Non-Materialist Materialist

DUALIST



• Idealism

• Non-physical minds truly exist

•

Physical world is an illusion• To be is to be perceived

• Proponents: Berkeley, Hegel

Non-Materialist



• Both physical objects and non-physical minds

exist

• Proponent: Rene Descartes

• The movement of mind and matter:

Mind - free and indestructible

Matter - determined and destructible

DUALIST



Materialist



Differences:

Mental states = physical

States of the body

Mental states = higher levelPhysical states



Non-Realist

Through Elimination

Through Reduction



Through Elimination

• Eliminativist Materialist:Proposed by Paul and Patricia Churchland.

The Mind is based on a folk theory and shall

eventually be replaced by an advance in science.

• Intrumentalism:Proposed by Daniel Dennett. The Mind

(more precisely, mental states) is just a toolused by humans to predict something that one has

no sufficient knowledge about.



Eliminative Materialism

• Common-sense beliefs that there are mentalstates (MS) in addition to brain states & MScauses some of our bodily movements is

outdated and a mistaken theory of the brain• Some defects of the folk theory:

1. The nature of mental illness

2. Rich variety of perceptual illusions3. Faculty of creative imagination and the

function of sleep



Instrumentalism

• The prediction of behaviors is vital to ones

survival and in trying to predict, one adopts a

stance most suited for the situation.

• 3 types of stance that are used for prediction:

1. Physical stance – having knowledge on the

physical constitution of the object and the

physical laws governing such constitution



2. Design stance – based on our knowledge of

the functions that something is designed to

perform

3. Intentional stance – predicting the behavior of

something by attributing mental states to it.

• We simply use design and intentional stances

in cases where we cannot use the physical

stance due to the lack of knowledge



Through Reduction

• Behaviorism:

Mental states are external physical

movements of the body (also known as behaviors)

• Identity-theory:The Mind is nothing but the brain. Proposed by Place, Smart and

Feigl. Science will eventually reduce all mental states to brain

states.



Behaviorism

• Two types of behaviorism:

Logical – proposed by Gilbert Ryle

Behaviors are expressed in terms of logical relations

between mental terms and behavioral terms

Methodological – proposed by Watson & Skinner

Mental phenomena are measured in terms of the

relations between observable inputs and outputs



Identity Theory

• Two types of identity theory:

Type – if two types are the same then al their

tokens must be the same in all possible

situations• Charged with Neuronal Chauvinism – limiting mentality to humans

Token – if two tokens are identical, the types

that they instantiate need not always beidentical

• There is a possibility of losing its stance in either materialist or non-realist



Realist



Functionalism

• Mental states = Functional

states:

A functional State is –

1. A physical state of a physical system with regard its functional

organization.

2. An internal state of a physical system definable in terms of its

causal relations (Input – internal causation - output)

3. Multiply realizable



Input

A

B

Output

Functional State



Computationalism

• The mind is a computer

Program or a complex of

Such programs that areImplemented in some

Hardware (brain) and

Mental states are the computational states of arunning computer program.



Strong AI

Strong AI – aka classical/symbolic

computationalism.

- symbolic: defines computin that occurs in the

thinking as basically a process of manipulating

symbols to some rules

- Computing is a step-by-step process



Connectionism

• Artificial neural network approach (ANNA)

- Uses a computer model of the neural

networks of human brains to explain the

computing process of the mind

• Computing process in the mind are

interactions among the units of artificial

networks

• Parallel distributed processing network



Difference: Strong AI & Connectionism

A

B

A B

Connectionism

Strong AI



Biological Naturalism

• The biological nature of the

Brain is essential for producing

Mental states and theirProperties this claim disputes

Against functionalism’s principle

Of multiply realizability whichClaims that the material stuff is not important.



Quantum Theory of Consciousness

• Mental states = non-

computational quantum states of

the microtubules of the brain.

• Non-computationality of the brain

Is the consequence of Kurt Godel’s Incompleteness theorm



Q & A

1. What theory requires the importance of

evolution for the occurrence of the mind?

A. Idealism

B. Behaviorism

C. Biological Naturalism

D. Functionalism



2. What is ANNA?

A. Android Network Neutral Association

B. Artificial Neural Network Association

C. Android Network Neutral Approach

D. Artificial Neural Network Approach

E. Artificial Network Neutral Approach



3. What theory is Quantum view of

consciousness specifically against?

A. Computationalism

B. Functionalism

C. Instrumentalism

D. Biological Naturalism



4. Philosophy is not concerned about what type

of Behaviorism

A. Logical Behaviorism

B. Realist Behaviorism

C. Non-realist Behaviorism

D. Methodological BehaviorismE. Psychological Behaviorism



5. Dualism is divided in to?

A. token & type dualism

B. idealism & materialism

C. non-realist & realist

D. substance & instantiation

E. substance & property

Philosophy of Mind - PRACTICUM

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