Mind Body

The Mind-Body
Problem
What is that we call “mind”? Is it the
brain?
What exactly are thoughts?
How are thoughts able to cause you to

act?
How can the brain—3-lb oatmeal-like organ think?
How can a thought, which is non-physical, move the physical?
Since thought is non-physical, is thought possible

without physical matter?
These and other questions are what we know as the
mind-body problem.
Why a problem?
Because humans have not yet

been able to understand
The existence of
consciousness/mental life are
mysterious.
The Mind-Body Problem
1. Consciousness.
2. Intentionality.
3. Subjectivity.
4. Causation.
You have been conscious
most of your life.
You have all kinds of

sensory experiences.
1. Consciousness
Your experiences have a
quality to them.
Why is the physical body

conscious?
You have many beliefs, thoughts,
many mental states.
Your mental states have a mental

2. Intentionality content: they are about college, a
city, and a certain relation between
these things.
Also, you believe that it is false

that the moon is made of cheese,
and it is true that you go to college.
But how can thoughts be about things?
How can thoughts relate to the world?
How can thoughts be true or false?
How can a state in your brain be about

something or have any intention?
Your conscious experiences are subjective—
personal, private. They cannot be experienced by
anyone else.
Others can have similar experiences, but you and
you alone know what it is like to taste an apple.
I cannot get inside your head.

3. Subjectivity
A brain surgeon can open your head and see what
you see/feel.
What happens in your experience is inside your mind
not inside your brain.
But then where do these experiences and mental
states occur?
Your thoughts make your body move. But how
can immaterial thoughts and desires cause
anything?
How can nonphysical thoughts give rise to the

4. Causation physical without violating the laws of the
conservation of mass, of energy and of
momentum?
Are we supposed to believe that thoughts can

grab the axons or push the dendrites of your
nerve cells and make you move?
These 4 problems (Consciousness, Intentionality,
Subjectivity, Mental causation) constitute the so-called
mind-body problem.
Mind-body problem = how the mental and the physical
relate and interact.
The Mind-body problem has puzzled scientists for

centuries.
The problem has been addressed by two distinct positions:
Materialism (or physicalism) and Dualism

Dualism vs. Materialism
Materialism (physicalism): mental states are physical
states—states of the brain, which is a physical thing.
Physical things can be accounted for by physics,

biology, chemistry, etc.
Dualism: Mental states are not states of any physical

thing; they are non-physical entities.
Non-physical things cannot be investigated by the

sciences.
Dualist Theories
Substance Dualism
Each mind is a distinct nonphysical
thing, independent of any physical body.
The brain is a physical substance

The mind is a non-physical substance
Property Dualism
There aren't two kinds of substances, the mind and the brain,
but two kinds of properties—physical and non-physical
properties.
Two kinds of property dualism:

(1) epiphenomenalism and (2) interactionism
Mental properties are emergent properties.
Mental states are irreducible: they are “beyond prediction or

explanation by physical science”.
1. Epiphenomenalism: Mental phenomena “ride on top
of” brain processes, but don’t ever affect the brain.
Mental states have no causal powers. This is

unbelievable.
2. Interactionism: Mental properties, mental states, are

nonphysical but interact with the brain.
But how do they interact?

What motivates Dualism?
Arguments for dualism:

The argument from religion:
God exists.
God is a mind.
God is immaterial.
The argument from
introspection
When one introspects, one finds
desires, beliefs, sensations.
These are not like neuro-
chemical processes.
So, the mental is not physical.
The argument from irreducibility
If there are mental phenomena for which no

physical explanation could be given, we must
conclude that the physical is not all there is.
The ability to use language, Mathematical

reasoning are such mental phenomena.
Therefore, they are non-physical .

The argument from personal identity
I am not the same person I was at the age of 3. Every

cell in my body is completely different.
But then why do I have the same thoughts, memories,
etc.?
Because I am the same person!
The body constantly changes (including the brain). The

mind is consistent and therefore separate from body.
So I am not my body but my mind (non-physical).

Arguments Against Dualism
The argument from simplicity
Simpler theories are better than complex theories.
Materialism is a simpler theory than dualism.
Dualism is false.
The explanatory power of materialism
Neuroscientist can explain a great deal of behavior.
The dualist can tell us nothing about this “mind

stuff.”
So dualism is false
Thus, we ought to endorse materialism.

The argument from neural dependence
If thinking, reasoning, emotion, really are performed by a special

mental entity, then one would expect reason, emotion, and
consciousness to be invulnerable.
But illness or damage to the brain always causes loss or change of

mental functions.
So the mind is physical

The argument from evolutionary history
The origin of our species is explained by

reference to evolution.
Brains evolves.
Thus, brain is the result of a purely physical

process.
Four Materialist Theories:
1. Behaviorism
2. Identity Theory
3. Functionalism
4. Eliminative Materialism
Behaviorism
There is no mind-body problem because claims about people’s mental
states are just claims about people’s dispositions to behave in certain
ways.
Mental state (beliefs, desires, hopes, etc.) are descriptions of

behaviors that do not correspond to mind.
Identity Theory (or Reductive Materialism)
Mental states are identical to brain states.
Pain is identical to the firing of certain neurons in a brain.
For every individual mental state, there is an individual brain

state identical to it.
There are many scientific discoveries that have shown us various

phenomena are identical to other. (Wetness of water)
Functionalism: A mental state is defined by its
causal relations (its function).
Pain is a state caused by damage or trauma,

causes distress, thinking about stopping it, etc.
A thought depends on its function, or the role it

plays, in the cognitive system of which it is a
part.
Eliminative Materialism
Advances in neuroscience reveal to us that theory about the mind is a bad

theory.
Historical examples of a theory being eliminated:

- Heat was thought to be a fluid, a substance, called “caloric,” but we now
know that heat is the motion of molecules.
- Burning and rusting was thought to be a matter of a thing called “phlogiston”
leaving the object that was burning or rusting.
- People thought there were witches, when in fact there was just psychosis.
So: The concepts psychology – belief, desire, fear, sensation, pain, joy, and so
on – in time will be eliminated.
The End
Questions?

Mind Body

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The Mind-Body

How are thoughts able to cause you to

How can a thought, which is non-physical, move the physical?

Since thought is non-physical, is thought possible

Because humans have not yet

You have all kinds of

Why is the physical body

Your mental states have a mental

Also, you believe that it is false

How can thoughts relate to the world?

How can thoughts be true or false?

How can a state in your brain be about

I cannot get inside your head.

How can nonphysical thoughts give rise to the

Are we supposed to believe that thoughts can

The Mind-body problem has puzzled scientists for

The problem has been addressed by two distinct positions:

Materialism (or physicalism) and Dualism

Physical things can be accounted for by physics,

Dualism: Mental states are not states of any physical

Non-physical things cannot be investigated by the

The brain is a physical substance

Two kinds of property dualism:

Mental properties are emergent properties.

Mental states are irreducible: they are “beyond prediction or

Mental states have no causal powers. This is

2. Interactionism: Mental properties, mental states, are

But how do they interact?

Arguments for dualism:

If there are mental phenomena for which no

The ability to use language, Mathematical

Therefore, they are non-physical .

I am not the same person I was at the age of 3. Every

Because I am the same person!

The body constantly changes (including the brain). The

So I am not my body but my mind (non-physical).

Simpler theories are better than complex theories.

Materialism is a simpler theory than dualism.

Neuroscientist can explain a great deal of behavior.

The dualist can tell us nothing about this “mind

Thus, we ought to endorse materialism.

If thinking, reasoning, emotion, really are performed by a special

But illness or damage to the brain always causes loss or change of

So the mind is physical

The origin of our species is explained by

Thus, brain is the result of a purely physical

Mental state (beliefs, desires, hopes, etc.) are descriptions of

Mental states are identical to brain states.

Pain is identical to the firing of certain neurons in a brain.

For every individual mental state, there is an individual brain

There are many scientific discoveries that have shown us various

Pain is a state caused by damage or trauma,

A thought depends on its function, or the role it

Advances in neuroscience reveal to us that theory about the mind is a bad

Historical examples of a theory being eliminated:

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