Summary
Summary Philosophy of Mind, Brain & Behavior
- Course
- Institution
- Book
Full Summary Philosophy of mind, brain, and behavior Psychology Course Radboud University Nijmegen
[Show more]
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
- Edition:
- ISBN:
- Edition:
More summaries for
-
Philosophy
-
Samenvatting Philosophy of mind, brain and behaviour - Philosophy of Mind, Brain and Behaviour (SOW-PSB2AS20E) -- Readings & Lectures
-
P_BFILPSY philosophy full course summary
Seller
Follow
milajanssen06
Reviews received
Content preview
L1 The Mind body problem – What is the mind- Mental states have the property of being about something
o The things we think about are not actually in our thoughts, our thoughts just refer to
them
- Contemporary theories of the mind are responses to the idea that the mind resides in an
immaterial soul that is distinguishable from the body
Substance dualism
- Theory by René Descartes
- Foundation for many other theories
- People consist of a material body and an immaterial soul
o mind is a non-physical substance, a soul that is causally connected to the body
o If the mind is a non-material soul it does not need a brain to exist
- Mind: umbrella-term for all mental states
- Mental: 1. Intentional and/or 2. Phenomenal
o 1. Referring to something outside the mind
o 2. All conscious states fall in that class
most mental states have both properties
Doubt as argument for substance dualism
- Descartes believes that it could be possible that everything that exists is our experience of
the world and our bodies, but not these things themselves
o “There is only one thing we cannot doubt, when we doubt so radically, namely that
there is something or someone who is currently doubting”
o To Descartes doubt is a form of thought and he builds his worldview on this: I think /
I doubt therefore I exist (Cogito ergo sum)
- Leibniz theory sees proof for Dualism in Descartes Cogito argument
o Theory: we can only say that x is really the same as y, if x and y share all their
properties (also property of space and time which would make them one)
o Therefore, Descartes thinking “I” cannot be the same as a material body or brain
since we can doubt the existence of our own bodies and brains but not our own
existence as thinking things
“I” therefore has a property our brains lack which means they must be
entities distinct from our brain
Two features of cartesian dualism
- The immateriality of the soul
o People consist of two separate parts
- Separation of the outside world and the inside mind
o Thinking “I” is separated from the outside world and connected only indirectly to it
through the senses and behavior
o Knowledge of the world resides in the mind as ideas, thought is the manipulation of
these ideas
o Many philosophers still believe in this feature
1
,Property dualism
- the mind is produced by the physical brain, but some of its properties (phenomenal
properties) are non-physical
o Accepted by some people today
o Some things can be physically explained while others cannot
Psychological behaviorism – problems
Methodological problems with dualism
- Descartes believes that material objects cannot think which is nowadays being refuted
- The argument of doubting and of Leibniz theory can be refuted since what someone thinks
about x should not be considered a property of it
o Ontology – the study of what really exists
o Epistemology – the study of what we know and how we can know it
the argument draws an ontological conclusion from an epistemological difference
- Dualism implies introspection as the only feasible scientific methodology
o Introspection is neither objective nor intersubjective
- Unconscious mental states cannot be topics of scientific research
response to problems: redefine psychology as a behavioral science (Watson)
The interaction problem
- How can mind and body interact if they are so different?
- According to Descartes they interact in pineal glands in brain (only hypothesis, not observed)
o Descartes thought he had an argument that proved the mind is immaterial
(nowadays argument is not valid anymore but he thought it was)
o He never observed this but he argued that just because he has not found proof it
does not mean there won’t be proof for it in the future
- Causal closeness of the physical realm
o anything that happens in the physical realm has a physical cause we can identify (or
still have to identify) every physical event has a physical explanation
o Pineal glands are part of the physical realm which means the mind would be
irrelevant because anything that happens, happens because of physical forces and
not the mind
Logical behaviorism
- Not a response to methodological problems with dualism
- Response to theoretical problems with dualism
- Previous Belief:
o Mind and body have been depicted as puppeteer (soul) and puppet (the body) this is
wrong in the eyes of this theory
o We think we need to explain the difference between intelligent and non-intelligent
behavior
Intelligent behavior is caused by a soul
When the body is doing something without control of the soul it causes non-
intelligent behavior
2
, - Logical behaviorism: We already know what the difference between intelligent and
unintelligent behavior is. Why do we need to make a further distinction and explain the
behavior with the soul?
o Mind is a word for intelligent behavior not a hidden cause of it therefore it is
unnecessary to make a distinction
- “The Concept of Mind” by Gilbert Ryle
o Conceptual analysis of mind by looking at language and how people use the word
mind
o Mind is not “a thing” (category mistakes)
Behavioral dispositions are not “a thing”
o Mental states are behavioral dispositions
Mental states refer to a tendency to act in a certain way under certain
circumstances
Disposition leads to behavior, behavior ≠ disposition
Comparison psychological behaviorism and logical behaviorism
- Both have behaviorism in center of theory
- Psychological behaviorism
o says that there is the mind and behavior, however they only focus on behavior and
ignore the mind in favor of behavior
o acceptance of scheme from substance dualism
- Logical behaviorism
o Do not deny mind, they defined the mind in terms of behavior
Problems with logical behaviorism
- Example of perception of pain:
o Super stoic someone who is trained and can be tortured but does not show any
pain
o Perfect pretender someone who can pretend and act out perfectly that they have
pain without actually having any
o Mental state of being in pain cannot be captured in behavioral terms
- Inner experiential aspect of mind is not captured well by logical behaviorism
- Mental holism mental states and behavior are not a simple equation, often multiple
explanations are possible
o Example: you pick up a glass and drink water. Explanations: you are thirsty, you are
suicidal and think there is poison in the glass etc.
- Connection between mind and behavior is not causal but conceptual
o We can make a distinction between intelligent and non-intelligent behavior before
we attempt to back this explanation up by a causal explanation
o Conceptual connections (difference between intelligent and non-intelligent behavior)
do not rule out causal connections (both behaviors may have different causes, the
one for intelligent behavior might be “the mind”)
Identity theory
- Theory has been thought to be the best alternative to substance dualism
3
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller milajanssen06. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $8.47. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
48298 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 15 years now