Brie Gertler, \"In Defense of Mind-Body Dualism\" In this selection Brie Gsrd et
ID: 3456753 • Letter: B
Question
Brie Gertler, "In Defense of Mind-Body Dualism" In this selection Brie Gsrd et offers a provocative argument in favor of the thesis that minds are not physical. She contrasts this position with the physicalist theory that minds are identical to brains (or, more specifically, any mental state is identical with some brain state). Her argument proceds by describing the strategy for demonstrating the possibility of non-physical mental states. She poses a thought experiment involving attempting to imagine or conceive of a particular pain (that you inflict on yoursell) as existing without any body. This is because, she argues, if one can conccive of something in this example by imagining it-then that's good evidence that it's possible. She supports this idea with a number of examples. Gertler then goes on to defend her argument from a number of possible objections. Chief among m is the objection that there are cases in which one can conceive of something that is in fact impossible-particularly when it's discovered later to be impossible due to scientific progress. Gertler grants this but disputes the claim that these sorts of cases are analogous to her case of the feeling of pain since we can't be wrong about the fecling of pain. This is because our concept of pain is not one involving a hidden essence-to know that we are undergoing the feeling is enough to know that we're in pain. Finally, Gstdet, considers two additional questions: how the dualist might answer the problem of mental causation and the problem of chauvinism that afflicts the identity theorist.Explanation / Answer
9. epiphenomalism is the idea that mental states do not cause the behavior. as per the definition of epiphenomalism, it is the view that mental are caused by physical events in the brain but have no effects on thephysical events. behavior is caused by the contraction of muscles caused by the neural impulses which result from the input in the neurons by the sense organs.
10. to many things can have mental states. this is because we can imagine everything and create its reations.
11. false. the two arguemnts are similar in all other aspects just the view of religious and spiritual implications in the descartes theory are not present here
12. true. she has addressed materialism which says that everything that exists is material or physical which is composed of physical particles like atom, quarks etc. all these require to be extended in space and are spatial in nature.
13.false as she states it after her study that things which are scientifically impossible cannot be tesed imperically.
14. false. correlation means that change in one thing causes change in other but identity theory says that two things are identical.
15. true. in the end of the arguments chauvinism and mental causation are not addressed and identity a modern concept is contradictory to her argumment but theseconcepts cant be reasoned out in her theory.
Related Questions
drjack9650@gmail.com
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.