PHILOS 1E03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Gilbert Ryle, Sough, Behaviorism
8 Dec 2014
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Alternative to both dualism and mind-brain identity theory. Mind-body dualism our mind is a distinct thing from our body. Mind-brain identity theory our mind just is our brain and cns. Functionalism the view that the nature of mental states should be understood in terms of their functional role in a system, not their composition: defended by fodor. Important antecedent of functionalism is behaviourism: behaviourism view that mental states can and should be studied and analysed purely in terms of behavioural dispositions. Characteristics of how people behave, for example, when they"re in pain. Behaviourism was appealing to empirical psychologists because it made the mind amenable to scientific study, since behaviour is easily measured and observed. Some philosophers (e. g. gilbert ryle) also sough to analyse the meanings of mental state terms (e. g. pain and belief ) solely in terms of behavioural dispositions. We aren"t just mechanisms; we have consciousness, experiences .
