Enhance Your Learning with Philosophy - Functionalism Flash Cards for quick understanding
A theory in the philosophy of mind that defines mental states by their functional role or causal relations, rather than by their internal makeup.
The philosophical problem of understanding the relationship between the mind and the body, and whether they are distinct entities or different aspects of the same entity.
A theory that identifies mental states with brain states, asserting that mental states are identical to certain neurological processes or states in the brain.
The idea that a single mental state can be realized by different physical systems, challenging the idea that mental states can be reduced to specific brain states.
Functionalism argues that mental states are defined by their causal relations to inputs, outputs, and other mental states, rather than by their physical properties.
Functionalism suggests that consciousness is a functional state, arising from the complex interactions of various mental processes and their causal relations.
Qualia refers to the subjective qualities of conscious experiences. Functionalism attempts to explain qualia in terms of their functional role and causal relations.
Functionalism has implications for the field of artificial intelligence, as it suggests that mental states can be replicated or simulated in computational systems.
Various criticisms have been raised against functionalism, including the problem of qualia, the issue of multiple realizability, and the challenge of accounting for subjective experiences.
Functionalism offers a perspective on personal identity, suggesting that personal identity is not solely based on physical continuity but also on the continuity of functional states.
Functionalism shares similarities with behaviorism, as both theories focus on the functional aspects of mental states and behavior, rather than on internal mental processes.
Functionalism rejects dualism, the view that the mind and body are separate substances, and instead emphasizes the functional relations between mental states and physical processes.
Functionalism is often associated with materialism, the philosophical position that everything can be explained in terms of physical matter and its properties.
Eliminative materialism is a radical form of materialism that argues for the elimination of mental concepts and terms, which functionalism may challenge or support.
Supervenience is the idea that higher-level properties, such as mental states, depend on lower-level properties, such as physical states. Functionalism is compatible with supervenience.
The Turing Test is a test of a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior indistinguishable from that of a human. Functionalism provides insights into the nature of intelligence.
Qualitative states refer to the subjective qualities of conscious experiences, such as the taste of chocolate or the feeling of pain. Functionalism seeks to explain these states.
Functionalism addresses the problem of mental causation, which concerns how mental states can causally interact with physical states and produce behavior.
Physicalism is the view that everything is ultimately physical or can be explained in terms of physical entities. Functionalism aligns with physicalism in its focus on causal relations.
Functionalism argues that conscious mental states are functional states, characterized by their causal relations to inputs, outputs, and other mental states.
Functionalism explores the nature of mental representation, suggesting that mental states represent external objects or states of affairs through their functional role.
Functionalism provides a reductive explanation of mental states, reducing them to their functional role and causal relations, rather than appealing to non-physical properties.