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CHURCHLAND 2. ELIMINATIVE MATERIALISM Or NO MIND, JUST BRAIN. The brain speaks up for itself…. ELIMINATIVE MATERIALISM. CENTRAL THESES 1. MIND is unreal A Folk-Psychological concept SO beliefs, desires, pains, perceptions, thoughts, volitions, etc., unreal 2. Only BRAIN is real
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CHURCHLAND 2 ELIMINATIVE MATERIALISM Or NO MIND, JUST BRAIN
ELIMINATIVE MATERIALISM CENTRAL THESES 1. MIND is unreal A Folk-Psychological concept SO beliefs, desires, pains, perceptions, thoughts, volitions, etc., unreal 2. Only BRAIN is real SO brain states, processes, inputs, outputs, etc., are real
SCIENTIFIC PARALLELS (313-14) Some folk-concepts: witches, demonic possession Some early scientific concepts: caloric, phlogiston, heavenly spheres, élan vital, electromagnetic ether, absolute velocity, etc.
Arguments for Eliminative Materialism (314-16) 1. Folk-psychology [Folk-Ψ] is bad and stagnant theory 2. Folk-physics, folk-biology, etc. were wrong, so is Folk-Ψ 3. Elimination is more probable a priori than reduction
Arguments against Eliminative Materialism (316-17) 1. Introspection shows reality of beliefs, desires, pains, etc. 2. If beliefs are unreal, one cannot believe Eliminative Materialism 3. Folk-Ψ is not so bad [& neuroscience not that good]