Metaphysics of Mind

What is meant by intentionality

What is a mental state

A mental state is a state that our mind can be in e.g inner feelings, desires, ideas, the sense of self, imagination, sensations, beliefs, memories etc.

What is a fact about mental states

All or at least some mental states have phenomenal properties and all or at least some mental states have intentional properties (intentionality).

What is meant by intentionality

Mental states possess intentionality when they are about something, there content is pointing towards something. For example the belief that it is raining is a mental state which is about something, the rain. Beliefs, desires and emotions all have intentionality. What an intentional mental state is about is referred to as the propositional content, what intentional states represent is called the intentional object and the way in which they represent them is called the aspectual shape of the object, these compromise the intentional content of a mental state. Mental states which contains attitudes or modes towards intentional content are propositional attitudes.

Define qualia

Qualia - intrinsic, non intentional phenomenal properties that are introspectively accessible. Some but not all philosophers refer to phenomenal properties by qualia

Explain qualia

Qualia is the feeling or quality of experiencing something, each mental state has a distintive experiential quality which are caused by phenomenal properties. e.g what is it like to eat chocolate. Intrinsic refers to the property is one that its possessor has in and of its own, non intentional means that the mental states which contains isn’t about or directed towards anything, they are relational, introspectively accessible means that they are accessed through turning our attention to our own conscious experiences.

What is a common definition of a property

A property depends on another entity (substances) for its continued existence, it has no ontological independence e.g softness.

What is a common definition of a substance

A substance is an entity that does not depend on another entity for its continued existence, is has a degree of ontological independence. E.g a book.

What do dualist theories claim

Dualist theories claim that the mind is distinct from the body so that a complete physical account of a human being will not be able to explain consciousness.

What does substance monism claim and what are two examples

Substance monism claims that there is only one kind of substance. Idealism all that exists is one kind of substance and property (the mental) and physicalism which is the view that there is only one kind of substance and property, the physical.

What do physicalist theories claim

Physicalist theories claim that ultimately we can explain the mind in terms of the physical.

Define substance dualism In philosophical terms.

Substance dualism in the philosophy of the mind is the view that there are two substance that make up a human being in this world, one is a spiritual or mental substance )the mind or the soul) with only mental properties (e.g consciousness, thought and understanding) and the other physical (the body), a physical substance, with only physical properties (e.g weight, shape and temperature).

Explain substance dualism.

It argues that the mind cannot be reduced to the physical, we cannot explain the mind in terms of the body.