Physicalism and the Body-Mind Question In the philosophical realm, physicalism is the position that everything that is in existence is no more extensive than its physical properties and the only existing substance is a physical one; or everything supervenes on the physical (everything that is tangible is ultimately something physical). From a human perspective, it is the theory that self is indistinguishable from, “or the product of, the activities of the physical body or brain and there is no nonphysical aspect of a person” (Lawhead, 2013, p. 64). Consequently, the argument posits the mind as purely a physical construct and may ultimately be explained completely from a physical standpoint. Physicalism, in its variety of forms, is a principal
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Since physicalism can be regarded as a thoughtful view that the mental process is not above the physical, it can be supported by either providing an explanation of the mind from a physical point of view or using a philosophical explanation. Thus, an auspicious argument is the causal one, which could be summarized as follows: 1) the properties of the mind have physical effects; 2) physics is causally logical (physical effects have physical causes); 3) physically effects are not normally unduly determined; thus 4) mental properties are physical (Papineau, …show more content…
Through the study of normal brain activity, there are indications that distinctive changes take place in our brains when tasked with certain activities such as speaking. There appears to be a concise association between events of the mind and changes in brain states (Lawhead, p. 82). The consistent correlation between mental and brain events, in addition to Ockham’s razor principle (“the idea that the simplest or most obvious explanation of several competing ones is the one that should be preferred until it is proven wrong”) makes physicalism a very favorable principle, indeed. This is because when physicalism is compared with dualism, its “properties and activities of the mind can be explained by the properties and activities of the body (the brain)” (Lawhead, p.
Since physicalism can be regarded as a thoughtful view that the mental process is not above the physical, it can be supported by either providing an explanation of the mind from a physical point of view or using a philosophical explanation. Thus, an auspicious argument is the causal one, which could be summarized as follows: 1) the properties of the mind have physical effects; 2) physics is causally logical (physical effects have physical causes); 3) physically effects are not normally unduly determined; thus 4) mental properties are physical (Papineau, …show more content…
Through the study of normal brain activity, there are indications that distinctive changes take place in our brains when tasked with certain activities such as speaking. There appears to be a concise association between events of the mind and changes in brain states (Lawhead, p. 82). The consistent correlation between mental and brain events, in addition to Ockham’s razor principle (“the idea that the simplest or most obvious explanation of several competing ones is the one that should be preferred until it is proven wrong”) makes physicalism a very favorable principle, indeed. This is because when physicalism is compared with dualism, its “properties and activities of the mind can be explained by the properties and activities of the body (the brain)” (Lawhead, p.