Untitled Flashcards Set
1. What is substance dualism?
Substance dualism (Descartes) is the view that the mind and body are fundamentally distinct substances:
The mind is a non-physical, thinking substance.
The body is a physical, extended substance.
They interact, but they are separate in nature.
2. What is physicalism?
Physicalism is the view that everything, including the mind, is entirely physical.
Mental states (thoughts, emotions) are brain states.
There are no non-physical substances or properties.
3. Define epiphenomenalism.
Epiphenomenalism is the idea that mental states are byproducts of physical brain activity but do not cause anything.
Example: Pain is caused by nerve activity but does not itself cause behavior (e.g., screaming).
Mental states are effects, not causes.
4. Behaviorism is a type of:
A. physicalism ✅
Behaviorism says mental states are just behaviors or dispositions to behave, making it a physicalist theory.
5. Difference between substance dualism, property dualism, and physicalism.
Substance dualism: Mind and body are separate substances (Descartes).
Property dualism: The mind is not a separate substance but has non-physical properties (Jackson).
Physicalism: The mind is fully physical; mental states = brain states.
6. Descartes’ conceivability argument for substance dualism:
I can conceive of my mind existing without my body.
If I can conceive it, it is possible.
If it is possible, then mind and body are distinct substances.
7. Jackson’s Knowledge Argument (as premises and conclusion)
Premise 1: If physicalism is true, then all knowledge is physical knowledge.
Premise 2: Mary learns something new when she leaves the black-and-white room.
Conclusion: Therefore, not all knowledge is physical knowledge, so physicalism is false.
8. Explain Jackson’s Mary-in-the-black-and-white room thought experiment.
Mary is a scientist who knows everything physical about color but has only seen black and white.
When she sees red for the first time, she learns something new (what red looks like).
Point: Supports Premise 2 of the Knowledge Argument—there is non-physical knowledge.
9. What does Jackson say that Mary doesn’t know in the black-and-white room?
She doesn’t know what it is like to see color—specifically, the qualia (subjective experience) of red.
10. One objection Churchland raises against the Knowledge Argument:
Churchland argues that Mary doesn’t gain new knowledge but a new ability—the ability to recognize colors.
Knowing facts vs. having new experiences.
11. Who is a property dualist?
C. Jackson ✅
Jackson argues that mental properties (like qualia) are non-physical, making him a property dualist.
12. One similarity and difference between epiphenomenalism and interactionism:
Similarity: Both accept that the mind is non-physical.
Difference:
Epiphenomenalism: The mind does not affect the body.
Interactionism: The mind does affect the body.
13. Who discusses the Imitation Game?
A. Turing ✅
Alan Turing proposed the Imitation Game, which led to the Turing Test for machine intelligence.
14. Explain the original Imitation Game.
A person (Judge) must distinguish between a man and a woman through text-based questions.
If the judge can’t tell who is who, the imitation succeeds.
15. Explain Turing’s modified Imitation Game.
Players: A human judge, a human, and a machine.
Goal: The judge must determine which is the machine.
Turing Test: If a machine successfully imitates human conversation, it is intelligent.
16. Which of the following can be attributed to Searle?
✅ A. A digital computer is a syntactic machine, while thinking presupposes intentionality (semantic content).
Searle argues that computers manipulate symbols (syntax) but don’t understand meaning (semantics).
17. Explain the Chinese Room Argument.
A person inside a room follows symbol manipulation rules (like a computer processing input).
From the outside, it looks like the person understands Chinese, but they don’t.
Point: Computers do not have real understanding—just symbol processing.
18. In Jackson’s Epiphenomenal Qualia paper, who is Fred?
✅ C. He is able to distinguish two types of red.
Fred sees two distinct shades of red that normal humans can’t.
Point: Suggests there are extra (non-physical) mental properties.
19. Which of the following holds?
✅ B. According to the identity theory, pain is identical to a brain state, namely C-fiber firing.
Identity Theory says mental states = specific brain states (pain = C-fiber firing).This implies that mental experiences can be fully explained through physical processes, challenging the notion of dualism which posits a separation between the mind and body.