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Mind and Body. (1904-90). (1596-1650). Dualism (Descartes): there are two kinds of substances, material bodies and immaterial minds. Operations of mind are infallibly accessible only through introspection Materialism :
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Mind and Body (1904-90) (1596-1650) • Dualism (Descartes): there are two kinds of substances, material bodies and immaterial minds. Operations of mind are infallibly accessible only through introspection • Materialism: • Methodological behaviorism: mental states might exist, but for scientific purposes, we should speak of mentality in terms of behaviors (B. F. Skinner)
More Materialist Theories of Mind • Analytical Behaviorism (Gilbert Ryle): mentality is nothing other than behavior. There are no immaterial ideas or minds; they are merely “ghosts in the machine” • Objection: thoughts seem to occur apart from behaviors or even potential behaviors • Mind-Brain (Identity) Theory: states of consciousness & thoughts are simply brain states (“reductive materialism”) • Objection: consciousness & brain states have different properties (e.g., consciousness is not spatial) (1900-76) J.J.C. Smart (1920- )