LECTURE 9: MATERIALISM

TODAY’S LECTURE

In Today’s Lecture we will:

1.1.Briefly recap our investigation into the mind-body problemBriefly recap our investigation into the mind-body problem

2.2.Outline and become introduced to the concept of Outline and become introduced to the concept of MaterialismMaterialism

3.3.Examine and discuss three materialistic theories of the mind:Examine and discuss three materialistic theories of the mind:

I.I. BehaviorismBehaviorism

II.II. The Mind-Brain Identity TheoryThe Mind-Brain Identity Theory

III.III. FunctionalismFunctionalism

4.4.Critique and critically evaluate these theoriesCritique and critically evaluate these theories

RECAP

RECAP

So far in phi 100...

oWe are continuing our investigation into the metaphysical question, We are continuing our investigation into the metaphysical question, what is reality?what is reality?

oWe have considered a number of possible answers:We have considered a number of possible answers:o Thales: Reality is composed of waterThales: Reality is composed of watero Plato: Reality is composed of two worlds; Being and BecomingPlato: Reality is composed of two worlds; Being and Becomingo Descartes & Locke: Reality is composed of physical and mental Descartes & Locke: Reality is composed of physical and mental

substancessubstanceso Berkeley: Reality is composed of ideas or mindBerkeley: Reality is composed of ideas or mind

oWe investigated an important consequence of Descartes’ dualism:We investigated an important consequence of Descartes’ dualism:The mind-body problemThe mind-body problem

oAnd a number of attempts to resolve the problem:And a number of attempts to resolve the problem:o Descartes: Tried to find the location in which mind and body Descartes: Tried to find the location in which mind and body

interactinteracto Ryle: Denies the problem itself is validRyle: Denies the problem itself is valido Berkeley: Reduced reality to one substance; mindBerkeley: Reduced reality to one substance; mind

A Dualist View of RealityA Dualist View of Reality

MentalMental

PhysicalPhysical

Taste of Ice Taste of Ice CreamCream

Neurones Neurones and and

Chemicals in Chemicals in the Brainthe Brain

Experience of Experience of Seeing Seeing

something Redsomething Red

Brain Activity in Brain Activity in Response to Response to

Stimuli Stimuli

Thought About Thought About the Cow in the the Cow in the

RoadRoad

Physical and Physical and Behavioural Behavioural ResponsesResponses

Unbridgeable Gap

RECAP

Idealistic MonismIdealistic Monism

Everything in reality is composed of Mind or IdeasEverything in reality is composed of Mind or Ideas

Neurones Neurones and and

Chemicals in Chemicals in the Brainthe Brain

Brain Activity in Brain Activity in Response to Response to

Stimuli Stimuli

Physical and Physical and Behavioural Behavioural ResponsesResponses

Mind/IdeasMind/Ideas

Thought About Thought About the Cow in the the Cow in the

RoadRoad

Experience of Experience of Seeing something Seeing something

RedRed

Taste of Ice Taste of Ice CreamCream

RECAP

Materialistic MonismMaterialistic Monism

Everything in reality is composed of material (physical) Everything in reality is composed of material (physical) substancesubstance

Neurones Neurones and and

Chemicals in Chemicals in the Brainthe Brain

Brain Activity in Brain Activity in Response to Response to

Stimuli Stimuli

Physical and Physical and Behavioural Behavioural ResponsesResponses

PhysicalPhysicalThought About Thought About the Cow in the the Cow in the

RoadRoad

Experience of Experience of Seeing something Seeing something

RedRed

Taste of Ice Taste of Ice CreamCream

RECAP

MATERIALISM

MATERIALISM

Materialists Maintain the Following:

EverythingEverything in reality is composed of in reality is composed of one one thing: thing: physical matter physical matter

Matter exhibits the following properties:Matter exhibits the following properties:

Located in space and timeLocated in space and timeObservableObservableQuantifiableQuantifiableMotionMotionDivisibleDivisible

EverythingEverything can be investigated scientifically can be investigated scientifically

MATERIALISM

The implications of Materialism are:

There is There is no thingno thing in reality composed of anything other than matter: in reality composed of anything other than matter:

Rules out the existence of anything supernaturalRules out the existence of anything supernatural

Minds, beliefs, thoughts, etc. are nothing more than matterMinds, beliefs, thoughts, etc. are nothing more than matter

There is nothing more to reality than what can be observedThere is nothing more to reality than what can be observed

This raises some important questions:This raises some important questions:

What is the ontological status of mental events?What is the ontological status of mental events?

Are mental events entirely reducible to physical events?Are mental events entirely reducible to physical events?

If distinct, how can we explain their causality?If distinct, how can we explain their causality?

MATERIALISM

Mechanistic Materialism

Maintained that humans are composed entirely of physical matterMaintained that humans are composed entirely of physical matter

All matter is governed by physical, causal laws of natureAll matter is governed by physical, causal laws of nature

All human actions are, therefore, governed by causal laws of natureAll human actions are, therefore, governed by causal laws of nature

The consequence is that the universe, including humans and The consequence is that the universe, including humans and animals is one big machineanimals is one big machine

MATERIALISM

Laws of NatureLaws of Nature

1.1.A body remains at rest or in motion with a constant velocity A body remains at rest or in motion with a constant velocity unless acted on by an outside forceunless acted on by an outside force

2.2.The sum of the forces acting on a body is equal to the product of The sum of the forces acting on a body is equal to the product of its mass and accelerationits mass and acceleration

3.3.For every action there is an equal opposite reactionFor every action there is an equal opposite reaction

To be continued next lecture...

BEHAVIOURISM

BEHAVIORISM

Behaviorism maintains:Behaviorism maintains:

All statements about an individual’s mental life can be translated All statements about an individual’s mental life can be translated into statements about observable behaviors.into statements about observable behaviors.

Anything else is mere nonsense.Anything else is mere nonsense.

Behaviorism comes in three forms:Behaviorism comes in three forms:

Soft BehaviorismSoft Behaviorism

Hard BehaviorismHard Behaviorism

Logical BehaviorismLogical Behaviorism

BEHAVIORISM

Soft BehaviorismSoft Behaviorism

oDoes not deny or affirm the existence of mental eventsDoes not deny or affirm the existence of mental events

oLimits its inquiries to observable, describable and quantifiable Limits its inquiries to observable, describable and quantifiable behaviorsbehaviors

Logical BehaviorismLogical Behaviorism

oAdvocated by philosophers such as Gilbert RyleAdvocated by philosophers such as Gilbert Ryle

oQuestions the logic of ‘mental’ language, not the ontological status Questions the logic of ‘mental’ language, not the ontological status of the mind or mental eventsof the mind or mental events

BEHAVIORISM

Hard BehaviorismHard Behaviorism

oDefended by the psychologist B.F. SkinnerDefended by the psychologist B.F. Skinner

oMaintains that there is Maintains that there is nothingnothing beyond behavior, atoms in motion, beyond behavior, atoms in motion, laws of physics etc.laws of physics etc.

oDenies the existence of the mind, mental events, thoughts etc.Denies the existence of the mind, mental events, thoughts etc.

Man is not made into a machine by analyzing his behavior in mechanical terms. Early theories of behavior, as we have seen,

represented man as a push-pull automaton, close to the nineteenth-century notion of a machine, but progress has been

made. Man is a machine in the sense that he is a complex system behaving in lawful ways, but the complexity is

extraordinary. His capacity to adjust to contingencies of reinforcement will perhaps be eventually simulated by machines,

but this has not yet been done, and the living system thus simulated will remain unique in other ways.

(Textbook, p 151)

Hard BehaviorismHard Behaviorism

There is no such thing as the mind, mental events, thoughts There is no such thing as the mind, mental events, thoughts etc.etc.

Neurones Neurones and and

Chemicals in Chemicals in the Brainthe Brain

Brain Activity in Brain Activity in Response to Response to

Stimuli Stimuli

Physical and Physical and Behavioural Behavioural ResponsesResponses

PhysicalPhysicalThought About Thought About the Cow in the the Cow in the

RoadRoad

Experience of Experience of Seeing something Seeing something

RedRed

Taste of Ice Taste of Ice CreamCream

RECAP

THE MIND-BRAIN IDENTITY THEORY

IDENTITY THEORY

The Mind-Brain Identity Theory MaintainsThe Mind-Brain Identity Theory Maintains

Mental statesMental states (thoughts, sensations etc.) are (thoughts, sensations etc.) are identical identical to to brain brain statesstates

X = YX = Y

Does not deny the existence of mental statesDoes not deny the existence of mental states

Mental language refers to Mental language refers to real entitiesreal entities

These These entities entities are neurological statesare neurological statesMental StatesBrain states =

Activity in R1 Thought about chair

Neuron firing C1 Experience of seeing red

Chemical event P Remembering an old tune

IDENTITY THEORY

Some Identity RelationshipsSome Identity Relationships

WaterWater is composed of two parts hydrogen

one part oxygen (H2O)

LightningLightning is an electrical discharge from cloud to

cloud to surface

The Morning Star

The morning star is the evening star

George Orwell (Author of 1984)

George Orwell is Eric Arthur Blair

IDENTITY THEORY

Some Mental-Physical Identity RelationshipsSome Mental-Physical Identity Relationships

Experience of Eating Ice-Cream

Neurological Event X

Thought About a Pig in the

Road

Neurological Event Y

Sensation of Pain

Neurological Event P

Desire to Eat Candy Bar Neurological Event Q

FUNCTIONALISM

FUNCTIONALISM

Functionalism Functionalism

Minds Minds andand Mental States Mental States are properties of are properties of systemssystems

The mind is not a thing, or reducible to any single part of a systemThe mind is not a thing, or reducible to any single part of a system

A system is any combination of objects that fulfils A system is any combination of objects that fulfils functionsfunctions

A function is a specific A function is a specific task task or or processprocess

Functions are completed using a process of input and output with Functions are completed using a process of input and output with reference to mediating inner statesreference to mediating inner states

Functions include:Functions include: Carrying out mathematical equationsCarrying out mathematical equations

Giving lectures on functionalismGiving lectures on functionalism

Brewing coffee at 6 a.m.Brewing coffee at 6 a.m.

Maintaining temperaturesMaintaining temperatures

FUNCTIONALISM

Multiple RealizabilityMultiple Realizability

Any system that performs functions has a mindAny system that performs functions has a mind

A system can be composed of any combination of objects or A system can be composed of any combination of objects or materialsmaterials

It does not matter how such functions are carried outIt does not matter how such functions are carried out

FUNCTIONALISM

Mental StatesMental States

Mental States are features of a systemMental States are features of a system

They are They are realizedrealized by, but not reducible to, lower level parts of the by, but not reducible to, lower level parts of the systemsystem

Mental states are defined by their causal role within a systemMental states are defined by their causal role within a system

Lower Level

System Level

It is 72 F

Today is Tuesday

It is 6 a.m.

I am hungry

I am low on power

FUNCTIONALISM

Systems and FunctionsSystems and Functions

Would you like a

cheeseburger?

Am I Hungry?

No

Input OutputSystem-level Mental States

No Thank you

Yes

Is It Cheese Steak

Wednesday?

No

Yes

No thanks I am having a

cheese steak for dinner

Yes Please!

FUNCTIONALISM

Systems and FunctionsSystems and Functions

Maintain Room Temperature at

72 F

Is room temp above 72 F?

Yes

Input Output

Turn Heater Off

No

Activate Heaters

System-level Mental States

Is Heater on?

Yes

No

Heater turned on

Do Nothing

Temperature Sensor