1 and 2 - Introduction to Metaphysics

what are the two major problems in metaphysics

the mind-body problem, the hard problem of consciousness

what is the mind-body problem

the problem of describing the relationship between our mental and physical states

what is the hard problem of consciousness

the problem of analysing and explaining the phenomenal properties of consciousness and conscious experience

what is phenomenal consciousness

a form of consciousness with subjective experiential quality, as involved in perception, sensation, emotion.

how can you briefly describe the phenomenal problem of consciousness

‘what it is like’ to experience such mental phenomena

examples of phenomenal consciousness

what it is like to see the colour red, to smell coffee

what are the two key features of mental properties

Intentionality and phenomenal properties

what is Intentionality

the property of mental states whereby they are ‘about’ something e.g. a desire for chocolate is about chocolate

how do Intentional states represent the world

in particular and partial ways

what is an Intentional mental state made up of

Intentional content, aspectual shape, Intentional object, attitude

what is Intentional content

Intentional object + aspectual shape

what is aspectual shape

the way an Intentional object is represented e.g. hot and humid

what is attitude

the psychological verb used for the Intentional mental state e.g. fondness

what are phenomenal properties

properties of an experience which give it a distinctive experiential quality, and which are apprehended in phenomenal consciousness

what are Qualia

phenomenal properties understood as intrinsic, non-intentional and introspectively accessible

smelling a cup of coffee has the

quale (intrinsic phenomenal property) of what it is like to smell coffee

does coffee-scented perfume have the same quale as smelling coffee

yes

what does non-Intentional mean, in relation to Qualia

not about anything or related to anything

what is a substance

an entity which does not depend on another entity for its continued existence

properties are _________ on substances

ontologically dependent

substances persist through

changes in properties e.g. growth

what, concerning substances, is a central question in metaphysics

is the mind a substance

what is substance dualism

the view that your mind and body are separate substances

what two kinds of substance does substance dualism claim exists

mental and physical

what is idealism

the view that minds are the only kind of substance

unlike idealism, what’s the most popular counter to substance dualism

the only kind of substance is physical

if only physical things are substances, how might we think of the mind

mental properties

what can we call the argument that mental properties are simply neurological properties (e.g. thinking about snow is just neurons firing off in your brain)

mind-brain type identity theory

whats the theory that there is only one kind of substance but radically different kinds of property (e.g. consciousness compared to physiological)

property dualism

what theory claims we are mistaken in the way we think about mental properties and the minds

eliminative materialism

what theory argues we should think about the mind in terms of behavior and dispositions to behave, not mental properties at all

philosophical behaviourism

what theory talks about the contributions of mental properties to behaviour, desires, actions etc

functionalism