intro to philosophy i final

What does metaphysics explore?

The basic questions about reality.

Is asking whether the mind and body are the same a metaphysical question?

No, that question is about knowledge (epistemology), not metaphysics.

What is Ockham’s Razor?

The principle that we should eliminate unnecessary entities and explanations.

According to Ockham’s Razor, is the most complicated answer usually correct?

No, simpler explanations are preferred.

What is a metaphysical substance?

A kind of “stuff” that underlies and has observable characteristics.

What is monism?

The view that there is only one kind of reality.

What is physicalism?

A type of monism that says everything is physical.

What is dualism?

The view that there are two kinds of reality (mind and body).

What did Descartes believe about mind and body?

He believed he could doubt the body but not the mind, so they are different.

What is interactionism?

The belief that the mind and brain interact with each other.

Does interactionism claim mind and brain are the same thing?

No, it says they are different but interact.

What do physicalists believe about the mind?

That the mind is the activity of the brain.

Do physicalists believe mind and brain are two separate physical things?

No, they are the same thing.

What is a major problem with dualism?

Explaining how mind and body communicate.

Do modern scientists think the pineal gland is where mind and brain interact?

No, that idea is outdated.

Is dualism supported by scientific progress in brain science?

No, scientific progress tends to support physicalism.

What do most contemporary brain scientists believe?

That the mind is physical (not dualism).

Why is the case of Phineas Gage important?

It supports physicalism by showing brain changes affect personality.

Who was Phineas Gage?

A real person who survived a brain injury, not fictional.

How does the brain process color?

Electrical signals create neural activity corresponding to colors.

Where does most visual processing occur?

In the visual cortex, not the brainstem.

What does the frontal cortex do?

Higher-level thinking, not basic functions like breathing.

What is functionalism?

The view that the mind is defined by what it does, not what it’s made of.

What does functionalism emphasize?

What the brain does (its function).

Can only biological brains be conscious according to functionalism?

No, other systems could also be conscious.

What is multiple realizability?

Different systems can perform the same function.

What is the Turing Test?

A test where a machine is considered intelligent if it can imitate a human convincingly.

What is self-awareness?

The ability of a system to represent itself.

What is the “easy” problem of consciousness?

Explaining how the brain works.

What is the “hard” problem of consciousness?

Explaining why subjective experience (qualia) exists.

What are qualia?

The subjective feelings of conscious experience.

What is the Loebner Prize?

A competition testing AI conversation, inspired by the Turing Test.

What is machine learning?

Systems that learn patterns and make predictions from data.

What is the mirror (mark) test?

A test of self-awareness using behavior.

Did Ameca pass the Turing Test?

No.

Was Sophia granted U.S. citizenship?

No, it was Saudi Arabian citizenship.

What is the singularity?

A predicted merging of human and machine intelligence.

How do many scientists explain the mind arising from neurons?

Through emergent complexity (not “emergent simplicity”).

What is artificial intelligence?

Systems that perform tasks requiring human-like intelligence.

If reincarnation cases were proven, what would they support?

Empirical evidence for dualism.

Equality

treating everyone the same by providing identical resources or opportunities.

Equity

treating people fairly by providing customized resources based on individual needs to achieve an equal outcome.