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:

1. I can conceive of my mind existing without my body.

2. If I can conceive it, it is possible.

3. 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.