Questions tagged [mind]
14 questions
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Why do some physicalists use the Turing Machine as a model of the brain?
It has always puzzled me when people casually make comments like "Since the brain is a Turing Machine...". Just to clarify: I'm talking about generic discussions, not philosophical journals here.
What would lead someone to even speculate about that,…
David Gudeman
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Does the computational theory of mind explain anything?
In science, when you theorize that X reduces to Y, you propose a theory that links X and Y in some causal way. Physicists don't just say, "What you experiences as a gas is really a swarm of fast-moving molecules"; instead, they use statistical…
David Gudeman
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3
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Is there a mathematical grounding for functionalism?
Take the sep definition of functionalism:
Functionalism in the philosophy of mind is the doctrine that what makes something a mental state of a particular type does not depend on its internal constitution, but rather on the way it functions, or the…
causative
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How can the sensation of pain be explained materialistically?
Physicalism, be it reductionist or holistic, tries to explain every phenomenon by materialisic processes. These can be seen as noumenon, existing independently of human beings.
But the true nature of the noumenon cannot be known. We cannot know the…
Pathfinder
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If some people don't have an internal monologue, is that a problem for arguments for the existence of other minds?
https://www.verywellmind.com/does-everyone-have-an-inner-monologue-6831748
All arguments in favor of the existence of other minds claim that other people have minds similar to my mind.
My mind is responsible for my behavior.
Other people have…
Arti
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If I know something, should I feel as though I have absolute certainty as to that thing?
I've been trying to wrap my head around the justified true belief analysis of knowledge along with the fallibly justified, true belief analysis of knowledge; and there is something that keeps bothering me with the analyses. The matter that keeps…
Dennis Francis Blewett
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What is the role of mental images in the perception of absence?
In the book “Metaphysics, a very short introduction” by Stephen Mumford, near the end of Chapter 9 titled “Is nothing something?”, I read the following puzzling lines:
“Jean-Paul Sartre discussed the case of entering a restaurant and seeing that…
exp8j
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If Integrated Information theory is correct, might ant colonies and beehives be conscious and self aware?
Julio Tononi proposes that consciousness arises when information is extensively processed and shared between components of a system (like the brain). Ants and bees (and some fungi) share chemical signals that maintain the hive. Could consciousness…
Dimitri Kutuzov
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Starting An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding. Will this be fun?
As someone with a deep interest in philosophy and the intricacies of human understanding, I have decided to embark on an exciting intellectual journey, delving into the realm of David Hume's "An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding."
Before I…
cricket900
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Does gender identity require a dualist account of consciousness?
For the sake of argument, let us say that gender identity exists and is analytically and ontologically distinct from sex.
Let us also say that:
Gender identity is accessible through introspection, when people 'out' themselves as being as such it is…
sket
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Is anything known about the physical, neural, mental, and/or logical characteristics or conditions of “wanting”?
I do not mean the word “wanting” itself, since a word can refer to many things, or a spectrum of qualities that may or may not be seen a connected thing or not.
If we try to identify a more clear thing, if possible, I mean if there is a momentary,…
hmltn
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What's the solution to the problem of other minds?
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/other-minds/
I have never understood what the solution to the problem of other minds is.
At first, the article said that:
"One standard line of reply to this question has been to appeal to analogy, another to best…
Johnny5454
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What is meant by other minds?
I recently asked about the argument for proving the existence of other minds. This argument is called the best explanation argument. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/other-minds/#BestExpl
Could you explain what it means that other people also have…
Johnny
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Can minds be uploaded in computers?
The idea runs around of loading minds up in computers. It's a recurring theme in SF culture and thought about the technological possibilities in the future. We can read on Wikipedia:
Mind uploading, also known as whole brain emulation (WBE), is…
Pathfinder
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