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Philosopy of Mind lecture notes
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Notes on all the lectures of Philosophy of Mind for psychology students.
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Philosophy of MindContents
Lecture 1: Substance Dualism................................................................................................................2
Lecture 2: Idealism & Behaviourism......................................................................................................4
Lecture 3: Identity theory......................................................................................................................5
Lecture 4: Functionalism........................................................................................................................7
Lecture 5: Connectionism......................................................................................................................8
Lecture 6: Embodied, embedded, and extended mind..........................................................................9
Lecture 7: The natural method............................................................................................................10
Lecture 8: The projection hypothesis...................................................................................................12
Lecture 9: The projection hypothesis...................................................................................................12
Lecture 10: not conscious of things that are present...........................................................................13
Lecture 11............................................................................................................................................14
Lecture 12............................................................................................................................................16
Lecture 13: The ego and bundle theory...............................................................................................16
Lecture 14: Free will............................................................................................................................17
,Lecture 1: Substance Dualism
The mind-body problem = how does conscious experience relate to our physical
bodies
Humans are conscious beings with experience of feelings/emotions, we make
decisions, have intentions, and have memories. But we are also physical beings
with bodies.
Introduction
What is philosophy?
1. Conceptual analysis
If we see the world from an everyday perspective, we interact and experience the
world, thus perceiving the world (manifest world view). We can also look at the
world by using insights of scientists (scientific world view) to perceive the world.
Example: explanation of concepts such as mind, culture, and intelligence.
2. Conceptual clarification
Conceptual clarification also needs people to explain what they mean by concepts
such as mind and memory. It goes further in using more scientific insights to
disambiguate between different concepts.
Example: different kinds of amnesia and how they relate to memory.
3. The science of validity
Scientists use all kinds of concepts without a need for asking questions about said
concept. Are these concepts valid and can they be applied?
Example: can causality be inferred from observation alone?
4. Changing perspectives
Philosophy is used as a training to change your perspective. You get trained to have
an eye for other opinions and perspectives. To do this it is necessary to partake in
discussions and debates.
5. Search for the truth
In ancient Greece there were people called Sophists, were trained in argumentative
skills to win arguments, not to uncover the truth. The truth depends on the winning
perspective. Socrates said there is an objective truth.
6. All/none of the above
Why do psychologists need to study philosophy?
Philosophy requires asking yourself critical questions about ethical issues, philosophy
theory of science, and foundational concepts. But the problem of consciousness is not
easy (hard problem). People seem to think that the mind and body are two separate
entities that can exist and function separately. If you feel something, something happens
in your pain, so there seems to be interaction between mental and physical.
, Question 1: What is the conscious mind?
1. Conscious experiences
What-is-it-likeness: experiences of surroundings by using our senses. It involves
qualia (singular: quale).
2. Cognition
Humans experience propositional attitudes (PAs) which are different stances
towards a proposition. These cognitive states have intentionality; they are about
something. Propositional attitudes are discrete entities, which means that changes to
one attitude do not necessarily affect another attitude.
3. Emotions
Emotions have a qualitative character and intentionality. Example: being angry feels
like something and is about something/someone.
Substance dualism (SD)
Substance dualism = the mind and body are independent of each other
Substance: that which can exist on it’s own
2 substances: res cogitans(thinking) and res extensa(extended)
René Descartes
Being extended means that something takes up place in space. Movement is the result
of collisions between extended objects.
Descartes
1. Radical doubt
A foundation should not be able to be doubted. Your senses cannot be trusted,
derived from things such as optical illusions. Solution: Cogito ergo sum. He is
doubting everything, so he is thinking. I exist because I think.
2. Clear & distinct insights
He is at least res cogitans, because he is thinking. God exists and He is good, thus
God does not deceive all the time, so he must exist (sometimes). So given these
clear & distinct truths, he is also res extensa.
Princess Elisabeth’s question to Descartes: if the soul of a human is only a thinking
substance, how can it affect the bodily spirits in terms of performing voluntary actions?
(the interaction problem)
- Solution: causal closure of the physical world, meaning no energy, so no mass,
gets in or out the system
o Patrick Swayze problem: how can a non-physical substance collide with
physical substance?
Descartes reply to Elisabeth: We are clearly two substances, but mind and body are
closely connected. Mind and body are connected in the pineal gland. This is not a
satisfying explanation because it does not answer how the interaction takes place, just
where.
Occasionalism = only God is the true cause of things.
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