Mind-Body Problem
Philosophical issue concerning the relationship between the mind and the body.
Substance Dualism
Belief that humans consist of two distinct entities, a mind, and a body.
Descartes Theory
Proposes the mind as an immaterial substance separate from the body.
Behaviourism
Theory that mental states are learned responses to stimuli, focusing on observable behaviors.
Identity Theory
States that mental states are identical to brain states, known as reductive materialism.
Functionalism
Focuses on the function of mental states rather than their material composition.
Qualia
Intrinsic, private, and ineffable properties of sense data, defining individual experiences.
Supervenience
Relationship where one thing is dependent on another, often used in discussing mental properties.
Property Dualism
Belief that some minds have non-physical properties, differentiating it from physicalism.
Zombie Argument
Conceptual scenario where beings lack qualia, used to argue for property dualism.
Epiphenomenalism
The belief that qualia (subjective conscious experiences) have no causal impact on the physical world.
Evolution
The process where genetic mutations occur randomly, providing benefits for survival, suggesting that qualia have a causal role in evolution.
Monism
The philosophical view that there is only one fundamental kind of substance in the world.
Libertarianism
The theory that human beings are free agents capable of making choices despite external influences.
Determinism
The concept that all events, including human actions, are determined by causes external to the will.
Personhood
The attributes and characteristics that define what it means to be a person, including consciousness, identity, autonomy, dignity, and moral agency.
Necessary conditions
Characteristics that are absolutely required for something to belong to a certain category.
John Locke
Philosopher who argued that personal identity is based on consciousness and memory, emphasizing individual rights and personal identity.
Self-awareness
The developmental stages of self-awareness in early childhood, as described by Philippe Rochat's Five Levels of Self-Awareness.
Immanuel Kant
Philosopher who emphasized autonomy and rationality as defining aspects of personhood, focusing on the ability to reason and make moral choices.
Kant's Personhood
Emphasizes inherent dignity, treating individuals as ends, respecting autonomy and moral agency.
Criticisms of Kant's Personhood
Include exclusion of non-rational beings, neglect of emotions and relationships, and universalizability as the sole criterion.
Morality
Principles guiding right and wrong behavior, influenced by culture, religion, and societal norms, shaping human interactions.
Turing Test
Proposed by Alan Turing to test machine intelligence indistinguishable from humans through conversation.
Descartes' Mental Distinctions
Include mind-body dualism, clear and distinct ideas, innate vs. adventitious ideas, facing criticisms like the mind-body problem.
Freedom (Existentialism)
Focuses on individual freedom, responsibility, and meaning of human life, rejecting predetermined meaning.
Nihilism
Rejects inherent meaning, objective moral values, associated with Friedrich Nietzsche, leading to active and passive responses.
Modernism
Cultural movement responding to social changes, emphasizing innovation, rejecting realism, influenced by science and technology.
Relativism
Asserts truth, knowledge, morality are relative, including epistemological, moral, and cultural relativism.
The Self
Explores consciousness, personal identity, debated as unified entity or changing perceptions, contrasted with Buddhist notion of anatta.
Simone de Beauvoir's Theory
Rejects isolated self, emphasizes social construction of identity, intersectionality, and impact of social norms.
Confucius's Relational Self
Focuses on interconnectedness, harmonious relationships, moral cultivation, and societal unity.
Confucius's Theory of Education
Belief in the transformative power of education for personal growth and societal advancement.
Limited Focus on Individual Rights
Emphasis on the collective over the individual, potentially neglecting individual rights and freedoms.
Hierarchical Relationships
Promotion of relationships based on age, social status, and authority, which may lead to power imbalances and limit social mobility.