PHIL 1305 Second Midterm
Identity Theory agrees with Functionalism that a detailed computer simulation of your mind would have the same mental states you have.
False
Inductive arguments are especially promising because we each have available a large random sample of other minds.
False
Searle's Chinese Room
Functionalism
If you are convinced an afterlife is possible, Dualism can help make sense of this.
True
QUESTION
Types of Arguments
The love of wisdom.
Yes
Simpler explanations tend to be better.
Ockham's Razor
CONTINUED
Other:
"Life would be dull if I were surrounded by mindless machines, so I think other people have minds."
P
"Of course I believe in God. Why risk going to hell over that?"
P
"That guy in the dark alley might not want to rob me, but it's safer to believe he does."
P
An argument that appeals to self-interest.
P
Everything is made out of the same general stuff.
Physicalism
Cites benefits of believes a conclusion
Prudential
QUESTION
Question to ask about an argument & Assessments
We can be justified in attributing mental states to someone even if we have no idea what behaviors those mental states would cause.
Sober's solution to the problem of other minds
Foundational
Some beliefs I can be certain are true, without needing any argument for them.
Turing Test
Something that can converse must be intelligent.
The premises (and hence the conclusion) are true
Sound
What's the difference between sound arguments and valid arguments?
Sound - must have true premises & conclusion Valid - can have false premises & conclusion
Functionalists are right to claim that minds are not multiply realizable.
neither
C-fibers
neural tissue that carries sensory information
Argument
set of premises that lead to a conclusion
Chauvinism
the belief that unless philosophy is done in certain kind of way then it cannot properly be considered philosophy
Multiple Realizability
thesis that the same mental property, state, or event can be implemented by another property, state, or event
The premises and conclusion are beyond doubt
Indubitable
Computer technology keeps growing at a geometric rate.
Bostrom, Moore's Law
Pain is just this particular type of brain state.
C-fibers
Offer evidence that the conclusion actually is true
Evidential
QUESTION
For each statement decide who would agree with that statement.
Mind/Body Problem
How are minds related to brains?
Problem of Other Minds
How can I know what's happening in your mind?
Folk psychological talk of beliefs and desires hasn't progressed at all in 2000 years
For eliminativism
Folk psychological talk of beliefs and desires hasn't progressed at all in 2000 years.
For eliminativism
Traditional talk of minds offers no explanation for mental illness, dreams, memory, etc.
For eliminativism
Traditional talk of minds offers no explanation for mental illness, dreams, memory, etc..
For eliminativism
The minds role in controlling behavior is analogous to software's role in controlling a computer.
For functionalism
Science often proceeds by discovering the hidden nature of things like water= H20.
For identity theory
"Most people who visit Harry's Haunted House of Horror are terrified. So you probably will be too."
I
"Other views that used non-physical substances to explain things have failed, so dualism will too."
I
"Usually when drivers shout they've been angry. So that shouting driver is probably angry too."
I
What two key similarities do the three views stacked up vertically in the middle of the diagram have in common that made us place them together in the same column?
1. All physicalism - believe there are minds made out of physical matter 2. Humans have mental states Keep baby toss the bathwater
An argument that generalizes from a sample to other things outside that sample.
I
Are the things in our sample likely to be representative of the thing(s) we're trying to draw a conclusion about?
I. Inductive
How large of a sample do we have?
I. Inductive
"Other people must have minds - otherwise their behaviors would be inexplicable."
A
"We should be physicalists because we don't need to sit anything non-physical to explain our experiences and our behaviors."
A
Inference to the best explanation.
A
Sober's solution the problem of other minds.
A
Using Ockham's Razor.
A
"We should attribute minds to other people, as doing so allows us to correctly predict their behaviors in an easy way."
A, P
Are there other potential explanations?
A. Abductive
Are there other relevant observations?
A. Abductive
Which hypothesis is simplest?
A. Abductive
Which hypothesis most strongly predicts that we could see the sorts of things that we have observed?
A. Abductive
The conclusion best explains some observation
Abductive
QUESTION
Abductive Arguments...
Was there any bias in how members of our sample were selected?
I. Inductive
An actor might perfectly pretend to be in pain even though she isn't.
Against behaviorism
Some warriors might show no signs of being in pain even if they are.
Against behaviorism
Ockham's Razor: we should prefer simpler explanations.
Against dualism
There is evidence linking different cognitive functions to particular brain areas.
Against dualism
There is no evidence of brain events being caused by something non-physical.
Against dualism
By introspection you can tell that at least one person has a mind (namely you).
Against eliminativism
It's hard to convince someone else of view you say you don't believe yourself.
Against eliminativism
A computer simulation of a rainstorm isn't a rainstorm.
Against functionalism
The Chinese room could follow the right flowchart, but not understand Chinese.
Against functionalism
It would be (chauvinistic) to assume that the way humans implement pain is the only way.
Against identity theory
Mental states are (multiply realizable.)
Against identity theory
Offer premises in support of a conclusion
All Arguments
The sample is a single highly relevant thing
Analogy
What's the difference between arguments from analogy and inductive arguments?
Analogy - One sample similar Inductive - many samples
CONTINUED
Authors:
A detailed computer simulation of Jackie Chan's mind controlling a robot facsimile of Jackie Chan's body would have a mind just like Jackie Chan's.
B, F
A perfect actor pretend to be in pain but isn't.
Behaviorism
Mental states are dispositions to respond to stimuli.
Behaviorism
The black knight claims to not be in pain but is.
Behaviorism
An actor might perfectly printed to be in pain even though she isn't.
Behaviorism - Functionalism
Some warriors might show no signs of being in pain even if they are.
Behaviorism - Functionalism
What's the difference between Behaviorism and Functionalism?
Behaviorism - all that matters is how brain responds to stimuli Functionalism - minds are programs mental states respond Flow is different
"Identity Theory is false. It says minds wouldn't be multiply realizable, but they are."
D
"The Chinese Room converses. That could happen only if it understood what it said, so it does."
D
"The more gods I believe in, the more likely one will let me into heaven. So I'm a polytheist!"
D
An argument which cannot have all true premises and a false conclusion.
D
If we gradually replace all your knurling with silicone parts that still interact with the other parts of your brain in the same way, you would still have a mind.
D, B, F
Anything without a ghostly thinking substance doesn't have a mind
D, E
In deciding whether something has a mind, it matters what it is made out of.
D, IT
Terry Schiavo might have had a mind, even if she was unable to produce any behaviors.
D, IT, F
Guarantee: if the premises are true, so is the conclusion
Deductively Valid
I want to set aside any beliefs I don't know for sure.
Descartes 1st Meditation
Some beliefs I can be certain are true, without needing any argument for them.
Descartes 2nd Meditation
The idea of a perfect car.
Descartes' argument for God's existence.
NEXT QUESTION
Diagram Between Relations
Different parts of the brain are responsible for feeling different parts of the body.
Dualism
It would be simpler not to believe in some extra sort of substance interacting with physical stuff.
Dualism
There are further facts about our minds, beyond all the facts about our physical brains.
Dualism
We have no evidence of brain events happening without physical causes.
Dualism
Ockham's Razor
Dualism - Functionalism
There is evidence linking different cognitive functions to particular brain areas.
Dualism - Functionalism
What's the difference between Dualism and Physicalism?
Dualism - mind is nonphysical body physical Physicalism - everything is of same material different materials
To have mind you just need to be running the right software.
Functionalism
include Descartes' argument for God's existence.
No
There are no beliefs or desires.
Eliminativism
You can tell by introspection that we do have minds.
Eliminativism
By introspection you can tell that at least one person has a mind (namely you).
Eliminativism - Functionalism
It's hard to convince someone else of a view you say you don't believe yourself.
Eliminativism - Functionalism
The computer simulations described by Bostrom would have minds.
F
Abductive arguments aren't very promising because they can yield conclusions about other minds only if you have made direct observations of other minds, but that would require already being able to solve the problem of other minds.
False
Argument from analogy aren't very promising because they can yield conclusions about other minds only by drawing analogies to still other minds, but that would require already being able to solve the problems of other minds.
False
Deductively valid arguments are especially promising because it is easy to find on controversial premises that guarantees the truth of conclusions about other minds.
False
Dualism agrees with Eliminativism that purely physical brains are incapable of thinking.
False
Even if the input to the room match the inputs to Jackie's brain, the outputs would differ.
False
Functionalism holds that a non-physical ghostly substance couldn't have a mind.
False
Functionalism holds that it matters which particular hardware your brain contains.
False
Functionalism is less concerned than Behaviorism regarding the details of what's happening inside a brain.
False
Functionalism is more chauvinistic than Identity Theory.
False
Identity Theory agrees with Behaviorism that anyone who is in pain will show it in their behavior.
False
Identity Theory agrees with Dualism that mental states are brain states.
False
Identity Theory agrees with Eliminativsm that we should stop talking about beliefs and desires and do neuroscience instead.
False
Sober would likely be reluctant to attribute understanding to the room because of how different the room is from him.
False
The Chinese room was proposed as a counterexample against identity theory.
False
The Chinese room was proposed to support the idea that simulated mines are minds too.
False
Unlike Jackie Chan, the room would be unable to recall earlier conversations.
False
We ordinarily attribute mental states to other people just by watching how they act.
For behaviorism
It makes sense to talk about the north half of your brain, but not the north half of your mind.
For dualism
This view allows most easily for the possibility of an afterlife.
For dualism
QUESTION
For each of the following terms, give a short definition.
"College graduation is a lot like high school graduation. My high school graduation was boring. So I expect that my college graduation will be boring too."
G
"The Chinese Room writes just like Jackie. So it probably understand what it's saying too."
G
"You look so much like me, you probably think like me too."
G
An argument that concludes that two things that are known to be similar in some ways are probably similar in some further respect as well.
G
Russell's solution to the problem of other minds.
G
Are two things that are similar in the ways we've observed also likely to be similar in the ways that we're trying to conclude about?
G. Analogy
How similar is our sample thing to the other thing we're trying to draw a conclusion about?
G. Analogy
Dolphins feel pain, even if their brains differ from ours.
Identity Theory
Pain is just this particular type of brain state.
Identity Theory
Chauvinism
Identity Theory - Functionalism
Multiple Realizability
Identity Theory - Functionalism
What's the difference between Identity Theory and Eliminativism?
Identity Theory - one mental state is realized Eliminativism - eliminate all talks of mental states
Suppose identity theory turns out to be right. What impact would this have on Bostrom's simulation argument? With this make it more likely, or less likely, or not likely at all that were in some sort of matrix?
If you start from functionalism (Bostrom's way of arguing) makes it less likely. Simulation of C-fibers is not actually pain and therefore can't create a matrix. We could say what is in a matrix is mental state, but not same as pain / c-fibers made of a different material.
We might be justified in believing that aliens have minds, even if those aliens don't seem to be at all similar to us in any other ways.
Sober
QUESTION
Indicate which view the item has been taken to be relevant to, and whether it was taken for or against that view.
Concludes that something else is like some sample
Inductive
NEXT QUESTION
Is each of the following arguments (A) abductive, (D) deductively valid, (I) inductive, (P) prudential, or (G) an argument from analogy?
Minds could be implemented in other ways than they are in humans.
Multiple Realizability, Chauvinism Objection
The best solution to the problem of other minds is to use brain scanners.
Neither
We have no clue what the people around us are actually thinking.
Neither
.. provide a guarantee that, if the premises are true, the conclusion must be true.
No
A padded room to keep dangerous thinkers occupied without causing real harm.
No
The academic field with the highest rate of alcoholism.
No
I can be justified in believing got somebody has a mental state even if I have no idea what sorts of behaviors that mental state might cause.
Russell
I can conclude only that you have mental states like one's I've had myself.
Russell
Identity theorists are right to think that creatures whose brains are made out of the same stuff as ours are more likely to have minds like ours.
Russell
The best solution to the problem of other mines is to use analogies.
Russell
To decide whether the Chinese room has a mind we should consider how similar it is to ourselves.
Russell
QUESTION
Russell or Sober?
The fact that he and I sign similarly is no reason to think we play basketball similarly.
Russell's solution to the problem of other minds
You can be justified in thinking that someone else is in love, even if you've never been in love yourself.
Russell's solution to the problem of other minds
We can be justified in thinking that aliens feel pain, even if their brains aren't similar to ours. (two answers)
Russell's solution to the problem of other minds, Identity Theory
Are the premises of this argument actually true?
S. Sound
Is the conclusion of this argument actually false?
S. Sound
The robot reply.
Searle's Chinese Room
The systems reply.
Searle's Chinese Room
Something can converse without understanding what it is saying.
Searle, Chinese Room
Behaviorists are right that we usually have little reason to attribute minds to things that are incapable of producing behavior
Sober
I can be justified in believing that somebody has a mental state completely unlike any that I've ever had myself.
Sober
I can conclude that you have a mental state I've never had.
Sober
The best solution to the problem of other minds is to use abduction.
Sober
To decide whether the Chinese room has a mind we should consider whether there are explanations for what it does.
Sober
QUESTION
This example .. was raised as an objection against:
Abducted arguments are especially promising because these arguments enable us to use observations about one thing like behavior to support conclusions about something entirely different like the minds that caused that behavior.
True
Arguments from analogy are especially promising because we each have direct knowledge of a single mind and other people seemed fairly similar to us.
True
Deductively valid arguments aren't very promising because they can yield conclusions about other minds only if you already have premises about other minds, but that would require already being able to solve the problems of other minds.
True
Dualism fits with how different our minds seem from our bodies.
True
Dualism holds that each of us is made out of two quite different sorts of things.
True
Functionalism allows that someone can be in pain without have C-fibers.
True
Functionalism allows that someone not in pain can behave as though they are.
True
Functionalism holds that a detailed computer simulation of your mind would have thoughts and feelings just like yours.
True
Functionalism holds that minds are like programs, and brains are like hardware.
True
Functionalism holds that the Chinese Room would understand Chinese just as well as Jackie Chan does.
True
Functionalism is less concerned than the Identity Theory regarding the details of what's happening inside the brain.
True
Functionalism is more chauvinistic than Behaviorism.
True
Identity Theory agrees with Behaviorism that purely physical creatures can have minds.
True
Identity Theory agrees with Dualism that minds can be made only of certain substances.
True
Identity Theory agrees with Eliminativism that neuroscience is the best way to understand human behavior.
True
Identity Theory agrees with Functionalism that two individuals can be behaviorally alike but mentally different.
True
Identity Theory agrees with Russell that something has to be quite similar to us in order for us in order to be justified in attributing mental states like ours to it.
True
Identity Theory agrees with Sober that the best explanation of human behavior involves mental states.
True
If Searle's right that the room wouldn't understand Chinese, then functionalism is wrong.
True
If we could find events in the brain that aren't caused by other physical events, this would weigh in favor of Interactive Dualism.
True
If you become convinced Dualism is false, that may be reason to think you probably won't experience an afterlife.
True
Inductive arguments aren't very promising because they can yield conclusions about other minds only if you already have a large sample of minds, but that would require already being able to solve the problem of other minds.
True
Most dualists and Identity Theorists agree about whether computers feel pain.
True
Most physicalists hold that Dualism provides a simpler explanation than physicalism.
True
Russell would likely be reluctant to attribute understanding to the room because of how different the room is from him.
True
Searle objects to the systems reply by asking if someone who memorizes the rule book and maintains the slips of paper in his own memory would thereby understand Chinese.
True
Sober would likely be inclined to attribute understanding to the room as a simple way of explaining how well the room converses.
True
The intuitive case for Dualism is weakened by examples where two things that seemed quite different, like Clark Kent and Superman, turn out to be the same.
True
The more we look for brain events that aren't physically caused, but can't find any, the more that weighs against Interactive Dualism.
True
The robot reply says the room would understand Chinese if it were a controlling body.
True
The robot reply would be especially compelling to behaviorists.
True
The room would use slips of paper to store whatever info Jackie stores in neurons.
True
The systems reply admits that the man inside the room does not understand Chinese.
True
The systems reply holds that the man plus book Plus papers does understand Chinese.
Ture
Can I imagine any possible way that the premises could be true, but the conclusion false?
V. Valid
Is there a guarantee that, if the premises are true, then the conclusion has to be true as well?
V. Valid
What happens when we substitute new terms into the argument?
V. Valid
QUESTION
Views:
QUESTION
We considered the strengths and weaknesses of using different types of argument to justify beliefs about other minds. Which of the following claims are true?
QUESTION
Which of the following claims about Searle's Chinese Room are true?
QUESTION
Which of the following claims about functionalism are true?
QUESTION
Which of the following claims are true of Dualism?
NEXT QUESTION
Which of the following did we consider as good characterizations of philosophy?
.. are also known as inferences to the best explanation.
Yes
.. include Sober's solution to the problem of other minds.
Yes
.. include the use of Ockham's razor.
Yes
.. say we should favor whichever hypothesis most strongly predicted an observation we made.
Yes
A grab-bag of topics that people don't yet understand well enough to have delegated to more specialized departments like Physics or Political Science.
Yes
Reasoning carefully about hard problems.
Yes
The part of the map of human knowledge that is labeled "Here there be dragons".
Yes
Where you end up if you keep asking "Why?"
Yes
Deductively Valid Argument
conclusion follows premises