Questions tagged [mind-body]
The mind–body problem is the problem of explaining how our mental states, events and processes—like beliefs, actions and thinking—are related to the physical states,events and processes in our bodies, given that the human body is a physical entity and the mind is non-physical.
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Does materialism presuppose that a self is a bundle of mental states and perceptions?
The physicalist/materialist (going forward I'll use the two interchangeably) position on the mind body problem is the following:
Nothing exits besides the physical and therefore the mind is just a ...
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Can conjoined twins share a mind?
A unique recent case of conjoined twins having a neural bridge connecting their brains raises some philosophical questions concerning mind sharing and the mind-body problem. From the article by ...
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Does claiming that strong AI is impossible imply a belief in substance dualism?
I was reading an article by J Mark Bishop "The danger of artificial stupidity" on ScientaSalon, where he quotes his own research, John Searle and Hilary Putnam, among others, as proof of the ...
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Is feminism necessarily trans-exclusionary?
Transgender rights and feminism in the US are both considered part of the cultural left's causes, but it occurred to me that one might perceive an inherent tension between the two:
The basis of ...
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Why do philosophical discussions of the teleportation paradox seem to ignore the physics involved?
When I read philosophy treatments of the teleportation paradox and related subjects like swampman, they seem to focus primarily on drawing analogies to various entirely different scenarios (...
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How does one bring mind and matter into a single ontology that accounts for subconscious mind?
How does one define mind and matter coherently... do these categories even make sense in a single framework? I can refer to my consciousness and the contents of my consciousness as "mind", this leaves ...
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Can minds be uploaded in computers?
The idea runs around of loading minds up in computers. It's a recurring theme in SF culture and thought about the technological possibilities in the future. We can read on Wikipedia:
Mind uploading, ...
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Why is the existence of qualia considered an argument for dualism and against materialism?
Qualia is the term to used describe actual subjective experience and sensation, as opposed to mere knowledge and information.
The concept is best described by Frank Jackson's color blind scientist ...
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Why do philosophy of mind courses tend to bypass Kant?
All of the philosophy of mind courses I've seen seem to follow a basic pattern:
Start with Descartes and substance dualism
Jump to the 20th century and discuss behaviorism, functionalism, identity ...
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If I upload my brain into a computer is it still me?
I think the answer is yes but I know a lot of people disagree. So, I would like to ask these people when exactly does it stop being me.
Let's say I want to upload my brain into a computer using the ...
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What are book recommendations on Philosophy of Consciousness by contemporary authors?
I am looking for a book that is more focused on the philosophy of consciousness(rather than general topic of Phil. of Mind) which takes up the hard problem as a major theme. Can you guys give me ...
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How do modern dualists explain the mind-body interaction?
A serious challenge for dualism is explaining how mind and body interact if they are made of ontologically different substances, and more specifically how mental phenomena can causally drive bodily ...
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Tomatoes, Wisdom and Intelligence?
A lighthearted topic after I came across this funny quote:
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to put tomatoes in a fruit salad.
This had me wondering what ...
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How did Kant "undermine the soul"?
In the beginning of William James' 1904 paper "Does 'Consciousness' Exist?" he states the following:
At first, 'spirit and matter,' 'soul and body,' stood for a pair of equipollent substances quite ...
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What is the difference between functionalism and property dualism?
Functionalism and property dualism are both physicalist theories of the mind in that they don't admit any substances other than physical substance.
Property dualism holds that mental states are non-...
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What is this idea of causality being articulated?
So I wanted to ask about the kind of causality when someone says something of the sort: "Communism made these people destroy their own society" or "I have a brilliant idea now I will ...
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Does higher order conceptual processing present a challenge for Epiphenomenalism?
Epiphenomenalism is the view that physical neural processes have a causal effect on mental states, but that the reverse is not true: Mental states cannot effect neural states and only occur after the ...
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Could you explain what the dualist, the behaviorist and the identity theorist each would say about what is going on?
Suppose I run into the room screaming and yelling, "I have a horrible toothache!"
Could you explain what the dualist, the behaviorist and the identity theorist each would say about what is going on? ...
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Why is mind interacting with matter any more problematic than matter interacting with matter?
So there's this supposedly an 'interaction' problem for substance dualism, that isn't there for physicalism or idealism. I've never understood this.
So as Hume pointed out, we see event a followed by ...
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What is the modern solution to the mind-body problem for those who still hold the mind is separate?
René Descartes gave us the problem of how the mind interacts with the body in its modern formulation. Essentially, he asked how the incorporeal mind was able to influence the material body. He also ...
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Are dualism and the theory of evolution compatible?
From an evolutionary point of view there is a continuous gradient of intelligence (in the larger sense of the term), from lower life forms with no intelligence at all to higher life forms that exhibit ...
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What does the "mind-body problem" mean?
I'm confused about what the mind-body problem means. On some accounts the mind-body problem is specific to dualism. The dualist has to explain how the mind, a non-extended substance, interacts with ...
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The demarcation problem and the materialism/dualism debate?
Presumably the end game of dualist philosophers is to definitively prove the existence of ontologically separate mental states which cannot be reduced to brain states. If they succeed in doing so, ...
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What good books are there on the mind–body problem?
What good books are there on the mind–body problem?
I would be especially curious whether there are any well-written books about the "mind vs. brain" problem and related questions like the hard/soft ...
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Would it be immoral to enslave your own simulated mind?
The following story has been envisioned in White Christmas episode (part II) of Black Mirror television series (see the short clip):
Matt greets the confused and terrified "Greta cookie" ...
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Does idealism allow for thought without any sensory input?
As I understand, idealism is the view that the mind is fundamental and the body as well as the world we perceive are just derivatives of the mind. Is this right?
If so, if we had a hypothetical being,...
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What is the difference between type identity physicalism and eliminativism?
Type identity physicalism says mental states are identical with brain states. Eliminativism on the other hand states that mental states don't exist at all.
Isn't this just a word game? Does it ...
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How are subconscious mental states possible?
One of the most important defining mental features of mental states is that they are directly knowable. Indeed this is at the heart of the mind body problem: the mind is so special because mental ...
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Is color intrinsic to light?
Is there any proof to Sir Isaac Newton's claim that color exists only in the mind? That there is nothing intrinsically blue about light with a short wavelength. To us it would look the same whether ...
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How can we describe consciousness?
Humans consist of complex physical materials. However, we determine and experience our lives through numerous spiritual moments. Should consciousness be described as an outcome of physical matter and ...
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How can Epiphenomenalism explain the brain's belief in the mind without invoking divine intervention?
Epiphenomenalism is a mind-body dualist proposal that states that the brain can affect the mind but the mind cannot affect the brain. However, it has a big problem. It doesn't explain why the brain ...
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I have seven steps to conclude a dualist reality. Which of these steps are considered controversial/wrong?
Step 1: We start by believing in the bare minimum : our own subjective experience exists. This is the only thing we know to exist. The existence of other things can only be inferred. And to deny your ...
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What is the argument posed by Katherine Hayles in "The Condition of Virtuality" as to the relation between matter and virtuality and why?
I am learning in class of the influence new media have on old-aged dichotomies such as matter-mind, subject-object and their like. Our new-media teacher asked us to read the paper "The condition ...
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Can the existance of consciousness be proven by refering to it?
First question here. I'm new to Philosophy and I'm wondering if it is a correct thing to say "I can prove my consciousness (to myself) by referring to it"?
This came up in my philosophy class. ...
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Can Mind-Body Functionalism be true yet General Artificial Intelligence still be impossible?
In this lecture Hilary Putnam says the following:
Mind-body Functionalism is true. In fact not only is it true, but it makes ontological questions of philosophy of mind mostly irrelevant.
The laws ...
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Do some of us possess a godsense?
I have seen many debates on the existence of God and intelligence doesn't seem to be a deciding factor. I've seen both intelligent and ridiculous arguments coming from both quarters. Is it possible ...
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Do human thoughts interact with matter? [closed]
In a Dan Brown book, the author claims that thoughts can interact with matter, and the entire field of study associated with this is called "Noetic Sciences".
Is this actually true? What is the ...
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Can the laws of physics rule out disembodied minds?
In this article, philosopher Evan Fales argues that the laws of physics establish that disembodied minds (such as an immaterial God, for example) could not influence the physical world. Is it true?
(...
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Would rebuilding a human body rebuild the person it was?
I have zero background in philosophy, so forgive me for...asking this in an informal manner.
We have a hypothetical scenario. Suppose that our consciousness at
some time were reducible to ...
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Seeking Help on Cartesian Dualism and the Mind-Body Relationship
I'm currently studying philosophy and I'm struggling with the concept of Cartesian dualism, particularly in relation to other theories about the mind-body relationship. I'm wondering if anyone here ...
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If we would split my brain would there be two of me? [closed]
Considering that I can survive with only half of my brain, and I am a mind living in a body.
If we would split my brain in two and then implant one part into some other body and leave other half in my ...
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Am I not my body?
My intuitive reaction to thought experiments such as described in the following question leaves me thinking I am not my body.
Almost Sure Mind Transfer via Parfit's Identity Theory (interesting ...
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Isn't Mind–body dualism the result of a Complex Universe?
Mind–body dualism, or mind–body duality, is a view in the philosophy of mind that mental phenomena are, in some respects, non-physical, or that the mind and body are distinct and separable.
Isn't ...
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Am I still the same person as I was yesterday?
Since every living being has a metabolism, we all live in non-equilibrium state. We keep on exchanging molecules and atoms with our environment. I assume that our brain is affected by this as well as ...
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Does the possession of mind imply sentience and vice versa?
Definitions
I'm aware that there are differences in usage for 'sentience', 'consciousness', and 'awareness' as broadly covered (PhilSE)
So:
This question considers 'sentience' as the ability to have ...
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Is God's disembodiment problematic?
I understand that most (though not all) Christians believe that God is disembodied.
God cannot be corporeal because that would preclude his being eternal,
immutable, and simple, for example.
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Does dualism in conjunction with strong AI imply pan-psychism?
Let's assume that at some hypothetical point in the future, we arrive at two results:
Based on results like DesCartes or Kripke's, philosophers and logicians arrive at a conclusive proof in favor of ...
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Are there many minds or is there only one?
"If a lion could speak, we cannot understand it" - Ludwig Wittgenstein
Machines vs Chaos of Human Language
Mathematical Consensus
Is a proof still valid if only the author understands it?
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How does mind discover its own existence?
By mind I mean the observer, the self, something that perceives. I hope that you understand because I can't find the right word.
So, your mind can observe the external existence, and can observe its ...
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If consciousness is an emergent property of brain state, does this mean that we can only truly exist for 1 Planck unit of time?
Suppose my self-awareness, consciousness, point of view (POV) or qualia is not a "thing in itself" but rather an intrinsic emergent property of my brain's current brain state.
Then, as my brain ...
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