ipl-logo

The Mind-Body Problem

1673 Words7 Pages

Understanding the Mind-Body Problem, simply by Explaining Consciousness In this paper, I intend to gloss over a quick explanation of the mind-body problem, and its greatest proponent; Rene Descartes, then focusing on a theory of consciousness, namely, Daniel Dennett’s Multiple Drafts Model, I will identify central aspects of his thesis, to combat directly against Cartesian notions and in doing so, illuminate and argue for a potential solution to the mind-body problem, which is the same position I hold.
The Gloss The mind-body problem exists in our inability to explain the relationship between physical and mental states, given the body is tangible and the mind is not. Whether or not the mind controls the brain, the brain controls the mind, …show more content…

For instance, Chalmers (1996) insists that Dennett discounts the part of consciousness any theory of consciousness needs to explain. This phantom residue deemed unaccounted for by the telo-functionalist model is the notorious qualia: the subjective seeming of experience, the what-it-is-like-ness (Nagal, 1974), or the ontological subjectivity (Searle, 1997). Qualia are the last bastion against a concrete physicalist theory of mind and thus the fodder for the following discussion. Zombies and …show more content…

Epiphenomenal qualia are particular interesting as they are theorized to be incapable of having any causal effect on the material world, unlike Descarte’s (1989) reciprocal interactionism; body can affect mind, but mind cannot affect body. Dennett (1991, pp. 401-406) responds such a concept by its own definition could never have any empirical support; suppose even if a subject somehow lost their epiphenomenal qualia, they wouldn’t be able to report it (as that would qualify as “affecting the material world”). However, whilst this thesis falls beyond the fray of Dennett’s method, that does not necessitate its impossibility. If we forego the idea that zombies are possible, we can then safely infer that beings who are physiologically similar, manifest similar experiences of the world, consequently, the counter-argument that relies upon the vanishing of epiphenomenal qualia has nowhere to stand. Dennett (1991, pp. 403-404) replies by asking us to consider 14 epiphenomenal-gremlins, all present in each cylinder of an internal combustion engine, in doing so, he pumps the verificationist intuition we ordinarily have around such unfalsifiable claims and insists we ought to treat this instance

Show More
Related
1476 Words | 6 Pages

One of the most complex aspects of being human relates to the state of consciousness. It offers perhaps the most varied of experiences, from the state in which people are in when they are not conscious to the representation of semi-consciousness to the full reality of the waken state. Cognitive neuroscience may be one of the most well-explored areas of human well-being, and yet there is still so much more to learn about the inner workings of arguably the most important organ in the body. Chapter 3 delves into the concept of consciousness and the two-track mind, in an attempt to explain everything from sleep issues to addiction to the hypnosis to the ways in which the brain processes just about everything. The brain is a highly complex organ that is responsible for everything from knowledge to personality and everything in between.

Read More
745 Words | 3 Pages

If the soul cannot possibly begin when a person does, when and where else could the event take place? However, Darrow 's argument is impaired by his incongruous application of the term soul. He mentions that the soul is popularly equated with identity, consciousness and memory, but fails to specify whether it is this notion or another that he uses. (42) Presuming, for the sake of moving forward, that it is this definition he himself adopts, it seems directly in conflict with his belief that the soul would exist outside of the physical body. (43) Darrow 's argument lacks a clear explication of his concept of the soul and, furthermore, it presents a confusing, contradictory account of the soul 's nature and

Read More
1365 Words | 6 Pages

Within the unconscious mind exists three different apparatuses: Id, Ego, and

Read More
707 Words | 3 Pages

However, since Mary's new awareness is not generalized to physical facts, physicalism must be faulty. Jackson proclaims that the encounter of seeing color cannot be fully described by physical knowledge alone. He claims that there is a qualitative aspect to conscious experience that cannot be diminished to physical processes. Jackson's argument is further reinforced by the fact that the concept of qualia is irreducible. Consequently, qualia cannot be lessened to physical processes because they are inherently subjective

Read More
1919 Words | 8 Pages

Conclusion: The mind is substantively different from the body and indeed matter in general. Because in this conception the mind is substantively distinct from the body it becomes plausible for us to doubt the intuitive connection between mind and body. Indeed there are many aspects of the external world that do not appear to have minds and yet appear none the less real in spite of this for example mountains, sticks or lamps, given this we can begin to rationalize that perhaps minds can exist without bodies, and we only lack the capacity to perceive them.

Read More
619 Words | 3 Pages

Nagel contributes to the mind-body dualism by posing challenges to faulty reductive theories by discussing the importance of the consideration of subjectivity. He is entitled to the assumptions he makes because reductionism overlooks the gap between the subjective and the objective. Further exploring such gap can signify the creation of new methods that invoke the objective as well as the subjective. As of now the call for innovative approaches to understand the consciousness are essential to better understand our species and others

Read More
776 Words | 4 Pages

In this paper, I will be defending that physical events within the brain explain the functional parts of consciousness, while also producing the subjective experiences—qualia—as a consequence. I will be defending the property dualist idea of epiphenomenalism. But what is epiphenomenalism in terms of

Read More
1520 Words | 7 Pages

One way that Descartes might explain the mind-body interaction is by appealing to God. Since God created the union of mind and body, God gave both the mind and the body the ability to interact with each other. In his Fourth Meditation, Descartes argued that there are some things that we cannot understand because our understanding is limited compared to God’s. Thus, Descartes can conclude that we cannot understand specifically how the mind and body interact with each other, since the specific details of mind-body interaction are beyond our understanding. However, this explanation fails to resolve the contradiction between (1) and (2).

Read More
666 Words | 3 Pages

What mind body connection means to me? There are several things and factors that come to mind for me and mind body connection and today I am going to write a few things I believe that relates to the mind body connection and they are one is cleaning another is driving and cooking to name a few for mind body connection. Now with cleaning first you have to use the mind to distinguish what needs to be cleaned and what tools if any that you’re going use for this job if you may need any. After that then you go into the body phase that is the use of your muscles and the skeletal system from there for instance you’re going to clean your living room tools I’m going to use is a vacuum cleaner. I have the vacuum now I have to use my mind to determine

Read More
365 Words | 2 Pages

A philosophical zombie is functionally identical to something that has a mind. It reacts in the same way, but it is strictly physical and does not have qualia, units of conscious experience. Jackson's knowledge argument against physicalism is that physicalists' claim that "all facts are physical facts" is false because there is a subjective character of experience, therefore there is a difference between "knowing what red looks like" and "how red looks". Raffman's criticism of Jackson's argument is that they mean the same and what is different is "what it's like to see red", the qualia, the specific example of experience. In Jackson's thought experiment, Mary gains new knowledge by learning "what it's like to see red", an experience that was

Read More
785 Words | 4 Pages

In the realm of Philosophy, different views about the definition of the mind and its interactions exist. Among the many, Dualism stands as one of the most debatable, thanks to its position about the relationship of the mind and body, and its repercussions. This assignment discusses the dualist relationship between the mind and the body, as well as its impact on the individual free will. It asserts Interventionism as an extension of Dualism, as well as an alternative to Determinism. The objective of this endeavor is to present the Dualist approach to Mind and Body as an alternative or possible solution to the dilemma of Determinism.

Read More
462 Words | 2 Pages

“Ok. Um. I don’t know. What type of gods? Wait, what do you mean claimed?” “Oh.

Read More
526 Words | 3 Pages

Various philosophers and scientists have inquired about the mind and body issue for a long time. The mind-body philosophies try to explain the way a person’s mental state and processes are linked to the physical state. The core of the mind and body is that individuals have a biased experience of an inner life that appears detached from the physical world. Although they are separated, they need to work together in some way. Individuals may appear to have physical properties and mental properties.

Read More
1104 Words | 5 Pages

The behaviorist theory also solves the The zombie/absent qualia since Behaviourism doesn’t define mindedness as possession of mental substance but by as behaving as one who is minded, it follows that there is no such thing as zombies at all: anybody who acts like they have a mind will by definition have a mind. (Jessica Lerm, personal communication, April 9,

Read More
1457 Words | 6 Pages

What is the Mind? Introduction To try and explore the ‘mind’ it is necessary to examine if the mind and the brain are separate or if the mind and body are distinct from one another? Is the mind and body separate substance or elements of the same substance? Is consciousness the result of the mechanisms of the brain, wholly separate from the brain or inextricably linked?

Read More

More about The Mind-Body Problem

Related Topics

Open Document