PHIL 001 Lecture 6: Mind Body Problem
27 Apr 2018
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Week 4A – Mind Body Problem
PHILOSOPHY 001: APRIL 24,2018
Outline
- Dualism
- Troubles with Substance Dualism
- Physicalism
- Functionalism
- Consciousness
Clicker Question
According to the Mid/Body problem… we are…
1. Immaterial beings
2. A combination of immaterial soul and a material body
3. Physical beings with no mental properties
4. Physical beings with mental properties
5. None of the above
The Answer
None of the above
The Mind/Body is a question not a specific solution to the problem!
Two Basic Solutions to the Mind-Body Problem
1. Dualism: Two substances (duo)
Mind AND Body
2. Monism: One Substance (Mono)
Mind OR Body
Substance DUALISM
Mind and body are fundamentally
Descartes’ Conceivability Argument (Short Version)
I am a thinking thing. I cannot conceive of my existence without a mind, but I can conceive of
my existence without a body. Thus, it is logically possible for me to exist without a body which
shows that a body is essentially different from me and the mind.
Myself as a thinking thing
Even if I were to put everything into doubt
I now that I exist as a thinking thing from the “Cogito”
Cogito
-youtube video-
Descartes’ Conceivability Argument – Body
Body
P1: I can conceive of my existence without a body
P2: What is conceivable is logically possible
C3: Hence, it is logically possible for me to exist without my body
That is, the body is not an essential feature of me
Week 4A – Mind Body Problem
PHILOSOPHY 001: APRIL 24,2018
Descartes’ Conceivability Argument – Mind
Mind
P1: I can conceive of my existence without a mind
P2: What is conceivable is logically possible
C3: Hence, it is logically possible for me to exist without a mind
That is, the mind is an essential feature of me
Putting the claims together:
1. The body is not an essential feature of me
2. The Mind is an essential feature of me
Hence,
1. I am an immaterial thinking thing
2. The Mind is essentially different from the Body (dualism)
Descartes: “From that I knew that I was a substance the whole essence or nature of which is to
think, and that for its existence there is no need of any place, nor does it depend on any material
thing.”
First: Unsound Argument
Valid but it relies on a false premise that ….
- What is conceivable is logically or metaphysically possible
False, because we can conceive of things, and only those, who do not shave themselves
- The barber who shaves all those, and only those, who do not shave themselves
- I might conceive of myself as having been born from different parents… that is
impossible because my actual origin is essential to my identity.
Second: Dualism and Interaction
Mind and Body appear to interact
1. Thoughts affect bodily movements
Decision action
2. Bodily events affect thoughts
Neurological disorders, Psychotropic Drugs
How So?
Descartes: they interact causally
But…
Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia
Elisabeth of Bohemia argues…
That it is mysterious how a non-physical thing can causally interact with a physical one
Because of Physical Closure: No physical event has a cause outside the physical domain and we
define the physical
(NB: energy is physical!)
Attempts to Rescue Dualism
Dualism without casual interaction
1. Just cosmic coincidence between mental and physical?
Document Summary
According to the mid/body problem we are : immaterial beings, a combination of immaterial soul and a material body, physical beings with no mental properties, physical beings with mental properties, none of the above. The mind/body is a question not a specific solution to the problem! Two basic solutions to the mind-body problem: dualism: two substances (duo) Mind and body: monism: one substance (mono) I cannot conceive of my existence without a mind, but i can conceive of my existence without a body. Thus, it is logically possible for me to exist without a body which shows that a body is essentially different from me and the mind. Even if i were to put everything into doubt. I now that i exist as a thinking thing from the cogito . P1: i can conceive of my existence without a body. C3: hence, it is logically possible for me to exist without my body.
