PHIL 1301 Lecture Notes - Fallacy, Qualia, Mental Property
Document Summary
Identity theory: materialist/physicalist theory of mind, unlike philosophical behaviourists who claims that descartes was wrong as a matter of logic, identity theorist claim that he was wrong. Identity theory vs. behaviourism: behaviourism: model based on deunitional identities, being in pain is a disposition to behave a certain was. Thoughts are self-conscious mind needs to accommodate this. States of mind are not observable, brain states are observable: epistemological issue. Ontological issue (being or nature of things: sensations can be thought of as illusions. Primary vs. secondary qualities: attractive view because it is scientific, neuro. sci. and cog. sci. continue to make connections between mental processes and brain states. Neurological process are mental states: eg. Predicates: linguistic and representational: term used to describe properties to objects. Properties: nonlinguistical and features of objects: scientific research will show that certain properties we use to designate terms are properties of the brain (ie. pain = cfibres firing) strict identity theory.