Functionalism

the idea that society is a system of interrelated parts that is relatively stable. Each part of society work together in an orderly way to promote stability. Another aspect is that members generally agree about what is morally right and wrong. Functionalism is characterized in two ways functional and dysfunctional. Homelessness in a functionalist perspective homelessness is a dysfunction. In this perspective society is normal and functioning therefore, the problem is in the homeless people an…

We have discussed materialism at length. For the purpose of this essay, I will first give a quick overview of what materialism is. I will then discuss an objection made by Searle in his “The Chinese Room”. I will then discuss how a materialist might answer this objection. I will conclude with whether or not this answer was satisfactory or not. Materialism is, in essence, the idea that matter is what makes a human being what they are. There is nothing more than matter and physical…

“Functionalism – by all means is a strictly modern phenomenon but actually originates in classical antiquity” Giving the prodigious sense of a security but very different from that which is attained by the seeming immobility of the mass and weight of masonry. Concluded as one of the dominant successes of Woolworth, all will agree, it is an accomplishment of ‘scale’. Which assuming that the help of transformation the skyline of the city can be somehow added to the functions presumably from the…

answers. Could Ava be thinking in order to give this answer or is she programmed to give just the same answer whenever she is asked a question? Ava performs human-like functions do this, push toward the side that she has a mind because according to functionalism you must have a mind in order to have the ability to perform certain functions (taken from Doing Philosophy An Introduction Through Thought Experiments, Lewis Vaughn). Ava was programmed to know what Caleb liked and who he was as a…

Functionalism What is Functionalism? Trace its historical origins. Functionalism origin is quit blurred due to the many psychologists and philosophers who contributed to the making of functionalism. There is no one person who come up with functionalism but more so it was development over time, there are many that contributed and we will touch on some of the key psychologists and people that contributed in the making of functionalism we know as today . The thought of functionalism was…

When an animal is said to be deliberating or conceptualizing among other things it is said to be thinking and this thinking is said to be taking place within its mind. When a computer is processing information on route to its end goal it is said to be computing. Computing however is a term sometimes used in the realm of animals as well. In math class the teacher may instruct her students to “compute 5+5=x” and the students, without the aid of technology, may mentally compute the equation.…

In chapter seven of the book “Problems from Philosophy”, by James Rachels, the author Guided us through the process in which the topic of “Could a Machine Think?” Was a question that would arise many arguments and claims to prove its possibilities. The main points to this chapter were the arguments and objections that were trying to answer the following question “Could Machines Think?”. These arguments consisted of the Piecemeal-Replacement Argument, The Tipping Point Objection, The Turing…

The mind body problem questions what is the nature of the mind and mental states? How are the mind and the body related? How are mental states related to brain states? Descartes says that there are two kinds of elements in the world, bodies and minds. Descartes believes in interactionism which means minds and bodies intermingle with one another. The Chinese Room Argument was introduced by philosopher John Searle. In this experiment He explains an encounter that a human has with a computer that…

The argument in John Searle’s famous “Chinese room” experiment is that understanding or intelligence in general is not the same as teaching a computer symbols, recognition of them, or computations. In this experiment a man is instructed to translate a paper with squiggles by an answer key, through “if, then” statements such as if “squiggle” then “squiggle”. These squiggles are actually Chinese letters. But it is clear that the man does not understand or can even write Chinese, he is just…

Functionalism shows us how each part contributes to the spread of obesity. The media contributes to obesity especially in childhood. Several fast food establishments provide kids' meals in bright, delightful packaging that frequently come with a toy (Kluge,…