Overview
Philosophy of Mind explores the nature of mental phenomena. It asks: What is a mind? Is it a physical thing? Can a computer have one?
Core Idea
The core idea is the relationship between the mental and the physical. How does the grey matter in your skull produce the Technicolor movie of your life?
Formal Definition
The study of the mind, mental events, mental functions, mental properties, consciousness, and their relationship to the physical body, particularly the brain.
Intuition
- Dualism: Mind and Body are separate. (Ghost in the machine).
- Physicalism: Mind = Brain. (Meat machine).
- Functionalism: Mind is what the brain does. (Software).
Examples
- Chinese Room Argument: Searle argued that a computer could simulate understanding Chinese (by following rules) without actually understanding it. Therefore, syntax $\neq$ semantics.
- Bats: Thomas Nagel asked “What is it like to be a bat?” to show that subjective experience (qualia) cannot be fully explained by objective science.
Common Misconceptions
- Misconception: It’s just psychology.
- Correction: Psychology studies how the mind works (memory, behavior). Philosophy asks what it is (ontology).
- Misconception: We solved it.
- Correction: Consciousness remains the “Hard Problem.” We have no idea how matter creates experience.
Related Concepts
- Mind-Body Problem: The central issue in the field.
- Cognitive Science: The interdisciplinary study of mind (AI, Neuroscience, Philosophy).
- Intentionality: The power of minds to be about something (representation).
Applications
- AI: Can we build a conscious robot? If we upload your brain to a computer, is it still you?
- Animal Rights: Do animals feel pain? Do they have minds?
Criticism and Limitations
- Intuition Pumps: Philosophers often rely on weird thought experiments (Zombies, Swampman) that might be misleading.
Further Reading
- Matter and Consciousness by Paul Churchland
- The Rediscovery of the Mind by John Searle