PHL 100 Test 2
What is Ryle's solution to this problem?
Ryle's solution involves changing the way we think about the relationship between the mind and the body. He argues that we should stop thinking of the mind as a separate substance that interacts with the body, but rather as an aspect of our behavior or way of acting in the world.
Know the premises and conclusion of Berkeley's master argument.
1. In order to conceive it to be possible that objects exist outside the mind, we must conceive them as existing unconceived 2. Conceiving objects as unconceived is impossible
According to Hume, what are impressions, and what are ideas?
- All perceptions are either impressions or ideas - Impressions come from sensation, reflection(emotions, induced by yourself), are involuntary, are forceful and lively - Ideas are faint and obscure, copies of impressions(colors, cant be visualized w/out being seen) and resemble the impressions they are derived from, simple, complex -> visualizing/describing water bottle in your mind
Know the premises and conclusion of Jackson's argument
- Argument against physicalism 1. Mary lived her whole life in a black and white environment 2. If physicalism is true, Mary learns nothing when released 3. Mary does learn something when released 4. Therefore, physicalism is false
How does Turing say we should answer the question "Can machines think?"
- Yes, if a machine could win the imitation game more often than it loses (Theory of mind = behaviorism)
Define 'eliminative materialism.'
- common sense psychology is false and misleading account of the mind
What is Hume skeptical about?
-Causation: Hume famously argued that we cannot know the necessary connection between cause and effect. He claimed that all we can observe is one event following another and that we infer a causal connection based on habit and custom. -Induction: Hume was also skeptical about the validity of inductive reasoning. He argued that we cannot justify our beliefs about the future based on past experience, as the future may not resemble the past. -The self: Hume was skeptical about the existence of a substantial, enduring self. He claimed that all we have are fleeting impressions and ideas, and that the self is just a bundle of these impressions. Rationalism: Hume rejected the idea that we can have knowledge of the world through reason alone. He claimed that all knowledge comes from experience, and that reason can only help us organize and understand our experiences.
What principles of connection of ideas does Hume discuss?
-Resemblance: We tend to associate ideas that resemble each other, such as two people with similar facial features. -Contiguity: We tend to associate ideas that are closely related in space or time, such as the sound of thunder following a flash of lightning. -Cause and Effect: We tend to associate ideas of cause and effect, such as fire causing heat.
Which objection does Salmon make to each attempted solution to the problem of induction?
-The justificationist solution: Salmon argues that the justificationist solution is problematic because it requires us to use deductive reasoning to justify induction. However, this approach faces the circularity problem: we cannot use deduction to justify induction without assuming the reliability of induction, which is precisely what we are trying to justify. -The probabilistic solution: While the probabilistic solution can be useful in some cases, Salmon argues that it is not a complete solution to the problem of induction. This is because probability theory itself relies on induction, which means that we cannot use it to justify induction without begging the question. -The pragmatic solution: Salmon acknowledges that the pragmatic solution is useful in practice. However, he argues that it does not provide a satisfactory philosophical solution to the problem of induction. This is because it does not explain why induction has worked in the past, nor does it give us any reason to believe that it will continue to work in the future. -Overall, Salmon suggests that there is no easy solution to the problem of induction and that we must continue to use induction while being aware of its limitations and potential problems.
What reasons does Churchland give for accepting eliminative materialism?
1. Common-sense psych cannot explain many things: sleep, learning, intelligence 2. History says folk theories are replaced as science advances 3. It is unlikely that folk theories will be compatible with mature neuroscience
Which objections does he consider to his answer?
1. Computers cannot do any operations even with infinite memory(computers are limited, humans are not) 2. Consciousness is required for thinking, but computers are not conscious 3. A computer could never do X, so computers can't think 4. We can't program a computer to do what we don't know how to do 5. Thinking requires not always following rules, but computers always follow rules
Know the premises and conclusion of Russell's argument from analogy.
1. I observe that my mind causes my body to move 2. I observe bodies moving 3. Assume that minds cause bodies to move 4. Therefore, unobserved minds cause other bodies to move
Know the premises and conclusion of Berkeley's argument for God's existence.
1. Ideas must be perceived by a mind 2. Not all ideas are produced by my mind 3. Therefore, some ideas must be produced by another mind 4. These ideas are infinitely greater than the ideas I produce 5. Therefore, they must be produced by an infinite mind 6. Therefore, God produces these ideas
What objections to eliminative materialism does Churchland discuss?
1. Introspection reveals mental states being just what common sense says they are 2. EM is self-defeating 3. EM exaggerates the defects of folk psychology
What objections to his argument does Jackson discuss?
1. Knowing everything about brain states but not sensations does not prove that they are not equivalent 2. Mary gains "knowledge how" not "knowledge that" 3. Jackson's argument undermines property dualism 4. Mary could imagine what it's like to see red in the BW room
Know the premises and conclusion of Berkeley's argument against matter
1. Matter is not a collection if ideas or any one idea 2. An idea cannot resemble a non-idea 3. Therefore, matter does not resemble an idea 4. Therefore, matter is invisible, audible, untouchable, etc. 5. We have no reason to believe in invisible, inaudible, untouchable things(unless are minds) 6. Therefore, we have no reason to believe in matter
What objection to refined behaviorism does Armstrong consider?
1. Mental states are dispositions to act in a certain way under certain circumstances for certain reasons 2. Behaviorism cannot account for the first person POV
How does Turing respond to the objections to his answer that he considers?
1. Relies too heavily on mimicking human interaction -> Human interaction/responses can be learned 2. Not all knowledge is through conversation -> Turing Test is not a complete test, but is a useful starting point for the question of machine intelligence 3. Does not address consciousness -> intelligence does not necessarily rely on consciousness
Describe Searle's Chinese room thought experiment.
1. The Chinese room doesn't understand Chinese 2. The Chinese room functions in relevant ways like a computer that follows programs(input, output, cpu(person)) 3. Therefore, no computer that follows programs can understand Chinese
What is the problem of other minds? - Russel
1. The problem of other minds 2. Minds cannot be observed 3. So we have no knowledge of other minds
What problem does Ryle say the official doctrine has?
1. To say mind is a substance is to commit a category mistake Mind is(in some way or another) nothing but behavior
Know the premises and conclusion of Berkeley's argument for idealism.
1. We perceive objects 2. We immediately perceive only ideas 3. Therefore, objects are only a collection of ideas
Which attempted solutions to the problem of induction does Salmon discuss?
2. The sun rose yesterday, it rose today, therefore it will rise every day 3. (Hypothetica-deductive method) - Gives us certainty in cases of falsification -Corroborate - Fail to falsify a hypothesis 4. Principle of uniformity of nature: laws of nature are the same at all times and places 5. Let our degree of belief accord with the degree of evidence
Why does Searle say that computers that follow programs cannot think?
Computers do not have intentionality, humans don't follow a program Intentionality: A mental state's being of, about, or directed at something
What does Armstrong say the difference is between crude behaviorism and refined behaviorism?
Crude Behaviorism: Mental states are identical to actions(ex. anger -> yelling/violence), too simple Refined behaviorism: mental states are dispositions to act in a certain way in certain circumstances(flowchart of emotions) -> ex. being angry means acting aggressively if being provoked
Explain the thought experiment that is necessary to understand Jackson's argument.
In the thought experiment, Mary is a brilliant scientist who has spent her entire life in a black and white room, studying the physical properties of color vision. She knows everything there is to know about the physics and neurology of color vision, but she has never actually seen color herself. One day, Mary is released from the room and experiences color for the first time. Jackson's argument centers around the question of whether Mary learns anything new when she experiences color for the first time, or whether all the knowledge she gained in the black and white room was sufficient to fully understand the experience of color. Jackson's argument is that Mary does learn something new when she experiences color for the first time, and that this new knowledge is not reducible to the physical properties of color vision. He argues that this new knowledge is the subjective, first-person experience of color, or qualia. Jackson's argument is meant to challenge physicalist accounts of the mind, which hold that mental states can be fully explained in terms of physical states.
What is induction?
It involves making a generalization based on a number of specific observations or experiences.
How does Churchland respond to the objections to eliminative materialism that he discusses?
One objection to eliminative materialism is that it appears to undermine our everyday understanding of human behavior and communication. Churchland responds to this objection by arguing that the eliminativist program is not concerned with abolishing all talk of the mind, but rather with replacing folk psychological concepts with a more scientific understanding of the brain. He argues that this will provide a more accurate and fruitful way of understanding human behavior and communication.
How does Armstrong respond to the objection to refined behaviorism that he considers?
One objection to this view is that it fails to account for the subjective aspect of mental states, such as the way it feels to experience pain or pleasure. Armstrong responds to this objection by introducing the notion of "causal roles." He argues that mental states have a particular causal role in the behavior of an individual, which distinguishes them from other mental states. Armstrong argues that while subjective experiences are not reducible to physical processes, they can be explained in terms of their causal role in behavior. For example, the subjective experience of pain can be explained in terms of the behavioral dispositions that are associated with pain, such as grimacing, wincing, and saying "ouch." Armstrong contends that these dispositions are not merely correlated with pain, but they are an essential part of what it means to experience pain.
What is the point of Searle's Chinese room thought experiment?
Searle argues that this scenario demonstrates that a computer program, like the person in the room, can manipulate symbols without actually understanding the meaning behind them. He claims that syntax, or the arrangement of symbols, is not sufficient for semantics, or meaning. In other words, a computer program can manipulate symbols according to rules, but it does not actually understand the meaning behind the symbols in the way that a human being does.
attempted solutions to the problem of induction does Salmon discuss? GPT
The justificationist solution: This solution argues that induction can be justified by using deductive reasoning to show that induction is reliable. However, Salmon argues that this solution is problematic because it requires us to make assumptions about the reliability of induction, which cannot be justified through deductive reasoning. The probabilistic solution: This solution argues that we can use probability theory to assess the likelihood of future events based on past observations. Salmon argues that while this solution is useful in some cases, it still does not provide a complete solution to the problem of induction. The pragmatic solution: This solution argues that we should use induction because it is useful and has worked in the past. Salmon argues that this solution is helpful in practice, but it does not solve the philosophical problem of why induction works.
What is the problem of induction?
The problem with induction, as pointed out by philosophers such as David Hume, is that it is not logically valid. Just because something has happened many times in the past does not guarantee that it will happen in the future.
According to Hume, what relationship is there between impressions and ideas?
ideas are copies of impressions ideas resemble the impressions they are derived from, simple, complex -> visualizing/describing water bottle in your mind
What does Ryle mean by "the official doctrine"?
the mind and the body are two distinct entities that interact with each other. The mind is seen as a non-physical substance or entity that is capable of thinking and feeling, while the body is seen as a physical object that can be studied by science. 1. Every human has a body and mind 2. Bodies are spatial, minds are not 3. Bodies are public, minds are private 4. Bodies obey physical laws, minds obey non-physical laws 5. My mind is accessible by introspection, I cannot know whether other minds exist
