• Home Page
  • Is The Mind Brain Identity Theory A Defensible Position?

Is The Mind Brain Identity Theory A Defensible Position?

Superior Essays
Show More
Introduction to Philosophy (U73100)
Title of essay: Is the Mind/Brain identity theory a defensible position? In this essay I will show that the mind/brain identity theory is the only logically defensible position when it comes to the mind/body problem. To do this I will be looking at the most popular arguments and positions concerning the mind body problem. I will begin by discussing what is meant by the term 'mind body problem', the mind body problem is a philosophical issue concerning the issue of whether the mind and the body are the same thing or if they are two distinct substances in some way. Those who take the former position that the mind body are the same, purely physical are generally known as physicalists or reductive materialists, in the context of this essay I will be referring to those who fit into this line of thinking as supporters of the mind/brain identity theory. …show more content…
The Stanford encyclopaedia of philosophy defines the mind/brain identity theory as "The identity theory of mind holds that states and processes of the mind are identical to states and processes of the brain ... The identity theory of mind is to the effect that experiences just are brain processes, not merely correlated with brain processes." (Smart, J. J. C.

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Nagel's Argument Concerning Consciousness
    • 546 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Nagel's Argument Concerning Consciousness

    The mind-body problem is a very unique problem. Having consciousness is what makes this problem so difficult. Without having consciousness, the mind-body problem would be much simpler and less interesting. In fact, most reductionist theories don’t even try to explain this problem. Concerning consciousness, it’s difficult to provide evidence of it…

    • 546 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Race And Gender Analysis
    • 1347 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Race And Gender Analysis

    At the beginning, we should know that thought experiments are used in discussions about personal identity because there are cases that we can’t investigate empirically. For example, Derek Parfit suggests a case that we separate a person brain’s two hemispheres and place them into two distinct bodies without brains.…

    • 1347 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Cartesian Dualism
    • 2454 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Cartesian Dualism

    Are mind and body essentially different? [Descartes, Conway, Cavendish] In 17th century philosophy, the mind-body issue surfaced many circulating viewpoints as to what the real relationship between the mind and the physical world is. This continuing dilemma brings up questions that have ongoing answers regarding if the mind and body are two substances or not, and how exactly the mind and body are related to each other. I am choosing to take a monist standpoint in this paper, expressing that the mind and body are in fact one substance and are not inherently different: matter cannot be infinitely divisible, there is no source of activity in the nature of matter being extended, and other body parts besides the mind have knowledge.…

    • 2454 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    The Weakness Of Cartesian Rene Descartes Dualism And Materialism
    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Weakness Of Cartesian Rene Descartes Dualism And Materialism

    Dualism vs Materialism The mind/body problem, the question of what is the relationship between the mind and the body, is commonly seen as a key issue in the philosophy of the mind (Sober, 2013, p. 204). The two categories of views discussed in Sober’s ‘Core Questions in Philosophy’ that attempt to resolve the mind/body problem are dualism and materialism. Dualism is the theory that the mind and the brain are two fundamentally different substances (Sober, 2013, p. 204). Conversely, materialism says that matter is the one and only fundamental substance in nature, and the notion that mental phenomena are a result of physical interactions follows (Sober, 2013, p. 204).…

    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Devil's Bait & Quot: An Analysis
    • 1519 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The Devil's Bait & Quot: An Analysis

    The human mind can be a daunting notion to ponder. When the human body is provoked, it responds in vivid ways. The idea is that the mind and body are always intertwined. The further they are challenged and the harder they are strained, the response will be all the more astonishing. The understanding that together they can achieve outcomes that are enormously unlikely.…

    • 1519 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    An Argument For Animalism Analysis
    • 1160 Words
    • 5 Pages

    An Argument For Animalism Analysis

    In the essay “An Argument for Animalism” by Eric T. Olson, he concludes that personal identity is psychological continuity. I will disagree with Olson’s ideas about personal identity in the brain-transplant and the thinking-animal argument. The main point of the paper is about animalism. Olson’s argument is that each one of us is numerically identical to a human animal. Olson says that a person could exist who is not numerically identical to any animal, but it’s not the case for you and I. Olson, then presents his ‘Thinking-Animal Argument’ and the alternatives to that.…

    • 1160 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Comparing Locke And Chisholm's Theory On Identity
    • 929 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Comparing Locke And Chisholm's Theory On Identity

    Christopher Kettyle Professor Kaspar Philosophy 3000 24 October 2016 Chisholm v Locke Identity Roderick Chisholm's theory and John Locke's theory on identity consists on what their fundamental belief is about identity, while giving examples supporting this idea. Multiple philosophers have explanations about identity but by comparing Chisholm's and Locke's theory you will get a better idea about this metaphysical problem. By doing a comparison this will show you the ideas of these philosophers.…

    • 929 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Personal Identity Concept
    • 1237 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Personal Identity Concept

    However, other theories come into play and reject the psychological approach to explaining personal identity and it’s persistence over time; claims that continuity of the brain and memory are not enough to explain and confirm personal identity are made. These theories include the biological approach, the dualist theory, and the materialist theory. Through the review of these theories respectively, a clearer understanding of personal identity can be developed and argued for. Following this, we can begin to see how cases of multiples personalities or identities can be argued to exist as…

    • 1237 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Dualism Vs Physicalism
    • 1103 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Dualism Vs Physicalism

    The view of physicalism gives a stronger and more plausible answer to the mind-body problem. There are several reasons why this particular view gives a more sensible for answer to the problem at hand. These reasons include the rationale behind the reasoning of brain research, how the different aspects of reductive physicalism is able to address the non-physical aspects of the mind, as well as the less than sensible claims that the opposing view, dualism, presents in comparison. One of the main reasons why physicalism is able to prove itself to be the better answer to the mind-body problem is based off of research that society has learned about on the brain.…

    • 1103 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Consciousness: Relationship Between The Body And Mind
    • 2032 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Consciousness: Relationship Between The Body And Mind

    Many have postulated its complexity and whether its relationship with the physical world is spiritual or mechanical, but even in the 21st century, questions remain. Somehow, our mind has developed into this complex system that, through electrical impulses, is able to manipulate the physical world. Some believe, such as René Descartes, that the mind and body are two distinct entities that can exist without the other. Others, however, would consider this a categorical mistake, suggesting that we are a set of dispositions which belong grouped together when being…

    • 2032 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Identity's Theory Of Personal Identity
    • 1500 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Identity's Theory Of Personal Identity

    People have always been interested in the idea of finding out about personal identity, what makes you the same person as you were when you were five and what will make you the same person when you are eighty. Derek Parfit summed up this idea by saying “Whatever happens between now and any future time, either I shall still exist, or I shall not. Any future experience will either be my experience, or it will not.” (Parfit- 186), which is what personal identity looks into. This essay will discuss whether personal identity is a matter of physical or psychological continuity, taking into account the famous ideas of philosophers such as John Locke, Derek Parfit and Bernard Williams.…

    • 1500 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    J C Smart Identity Theory Essay
    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages

    J C Smart Identity Theory Essay

    J.C.C. Smart, a founder of Identity Theory, lays out his philosophy in The Topic Neutral Approach. Identity Theory suggests that the mind is created solely by mind states— its singular suggestion being sensations are brain processes. (Smart, 169) (Smart, 170) However, Identity Theorists believe behavior is caused by theoretically understandable mechanical processes. Smart claims this theory should be taken seriously since it parallels physics and therefore seems plausible.…

    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Logical Behaviorism And Dualism In The Philosophy Of Mind
    • 1262 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Logical Behaviorism And Dualism In The Philosophy Of Mind

    Substance Dualism is a theory of mind that asserts the thesis that there exists the mind (nonphysical) and the body (physical) and that they are two distinct substances. Moreover, it identifies a being immediately with their mind and only secondarily with their body. Logical Behaviorism is branch of philosophical behaviorism. Behaviorism, essentially, is the thesis that mental states, if they exist, are identical to behavioral states. Logical Behaviorism posits that descriptions of mental states are reducible to descriptions of behavioral states.…

    • 1262 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Glynis Breakwell's Identity Process Theory (IPT)
    • 1262 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Glynis Breakwell's Identity Process Theory (IPT)

    Identity processes are assumed to be universal and unchanging (Breakwell, 1986). However, they do not act on their own – they are guided by underlying principles (Breakwell,…

    • 1262 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Descartes And Gilbert Ryle's Theory Of The Mind-Body Problem
    • 1524 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Descartes And Gilbert Ryle's Theory Of The Mind-Body Problem

    The beginning of understanding oneself starts with identity. For centuries, philosophers have contemplated a common issue known as the mind-body problem. The mind-body problem is a philosophical problem that asks the question of what we as people are. Are people a mind, a body, or a combination of the two? There are several major works that pertain to this problem, but this argument will focus on those given by Gilbert Ryle, Rene Descartes, and Richard Taylor.…

    • 1524 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings