The Mind Body Problem Our minds seem to

The Mind Body Problem Our minds seem to be nonphysical and different from our bodies. Our bodies seem to be something different from our minds. Are they actually different? What is a mind? What is a body? How do they relate? 1. Dualism – we are souls that inhabit bodies. 2. Physicalism (materialism) – We are simply our brains. Mind = Brain.

Descartes Meditation 1 – I can’t be sure that I have a body, that other people, or my past or the world outside my head really exists. I could be tricked B 1596 D 1650 Meditations 1641 Meditation 2 – But, I cannot doubt that I exist because I am thinking about myself. I am a permanent selfcontained, self-conscious ego

Argument for Dualism The Doubt argument (Descartes): P 1: I can doubt that my body exists (from Meditation 1) my body is dubitable P 2: I cannot doubt that my mind exists (from Meditation 2) my mind is not dubitable P 3: If there is any difference between A and B, then they cannot be the same thing (Leibniz’s Law) ----------------------------C: So, my mind is not my body

Analogy to the Conceivability Argument P 1: I can doubt that I’m drinking H 20 P 2: I cannot doubt that I’m drinking water P 3: Leibniz Law ----------------------------C: So, Water is not H 20 The Intentional Fallacy: an attempt to go from “I know or don’t know X” to “X is the case. ”

The Divisibility Argument P 1: My body can be divided into parts P 2: My mind cannot be divided into parts P 3: Leibniz’s Law ----------------------------C: My mind is not my body Fallacy of Begging the Question

Princess Elizabeth’s Objection to Descartes How can a totally non-physical mind cause things to happen to a totally physical body? How can a totally physical body cause things to happen to a totally non-physical mind? This is the Causal Interaction problem

Physicalism The mind is the brain itself and nothing more. In other words, mind = brain

The Case of Phineas Gage

Argument for Physicalism Neuroscience has shown a strong link between what happens to and in our brains and what happens to and in our minds. Appealing to OCKHAM’S RAZOR, it is probably best to assume that the mind simply is the brain.

Who is this “I” that thinks? 1. self-awareness 2. Memory 3. Character 4. Free Will Challenges to think any of these are not located in the brain 1. The Case of Phineas Gage (Character). 2. Alzheimer’s & The Case Of HM (memory) 3. The Libet Experiments 4. Cases of mental illness

The Case of Mary

Argument against Physicalism P 1: If you are just your brain, than a complete description of your brain should be a complete description of your mind P 2: A complete description of your brain is NOT a complete description of your mind [it cannot explain private, subjective experiences [qualia] (like “seeing red”] ---------------------------------C: So, you are not just your brain

Two Kinds of Dualism Substance Dualism – Property Dualism My mind and my body are Some mental states are not two separate substances. identical to brain states They can exist apart from each other. Mind = Soul But …. They are created by and dependent on the brain. They cannot exist without the brain Mind is not Soul

The measurable soul argument P 1: If substance dualism is false, then my mind cannot exist independently from my body *P 2: My mind can exist independently from my body --------------------------------C: So, Substance dualism is true *P 2 can be supported if we have some scientifically measurable evidence of a non-physical soul