Questions tagged [functionalism]
42 questions
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Does the "gradual brain replacement" thought experiment prove consciousness is independent of substrate?
In "gradual brain replacement," a person's neurons are gradually, over the course of perhaps a few minutes or hours, replaced by nanites, while the person is conscious and talking about the experience.
The nanites are close enough in function to the…
causative
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How does Putnam's twin earth thought experiment disprove functionalism?
In the twin Earth thought experiment Putnam determines that meanings are not in the head. Later interpretations, by himself and by others, take it to falsify functionalism.
It seems to me that the argument can't disprove functionalism, and even that…
Amit Hagin
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From a functionalist point of view: when is an algorithm an A.I., and when is it just software?
Recently, The Atlantic published an article claiming that "Google Taught an AI That Sorts Cat Photos to Analyze DNA". When you look at the original paper published by the Google team, what they really did was take a neural network model normally…
Alexander S King
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Does Fodor present any argument for his use of computable methods in his view of the mind?
In defense of his Language of Thought Hypothesis (SEP article), Jerry Fodor argues that Thought is recursively compositional in just the same way that Language is. When we understand a sentence, we invoke a representational token that corresponds…
Sofie Ross
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How would Wittgenstein respond to Functionalist accounts of consciousness?
So far, I've only been able to dig up a partial footnote by Kripke in his essay "Wittgenstein on Rules and Private Language" where he tantalizingly writes that
"... Wittgenstein would regard his remarks on machines as applicable to 'functionalism'…
Ryder
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What are the problems with the argument for the mind-body dualism from immateriality of thoughts?
I have started studying philosophy of mind and I am currently reading an introduction to the field. The first topic that is presented in the book is dualism of the Cartesian brand, and the case for it is made, roughly, thus:
Material objects are…
Adrian
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How can mathematical results impact the physical world?
In his 2007 book I Am a Strange Loop, Douglas Hofstadter uses an analogy based on a domino computer.
Indeed, it is possible to build logical gates made of dominoes (see e.g. here) and realize simple programs such as an adder (see here).
For…
thingsthatmighthavebeen
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What is the relationship between cognition and qualia?
First, I must admit I'm having trouble formulating this question because I'm somewhat confused about the relationship between these two items (cognition and qualia). Please let me know if I can improve it or if it should be multiple questions.
I was…
EJoshuaS - Stand with Ukraine
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Way to find a middle ground between functionalism and "panpsychism"?
Scientifically, given that we are just pieces of universe (earth), then parts of the universe can experience phenomenal consciousness.
"Panpsychism" says that therefore phenomenality must be inherent to (or at least ubiquitous in) what the universe…
Yop
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What are some good books about the philosophy of mind?
I took a class covering some problems of philosophy of mind last term: On free will and mental causation. And I'm reading Jaegwon Kim's Philosophy of Mind. But since my professor was taught by Kim, I want to read other books on philosophy of mind,…
Darae-Uri
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Are qualia state variables of the mind, or input variables to the mind?
Qualia - the elements of conscious experience - are associated with sensory information, most identifiably with what we see, hear, smell, touch, or taste. This is information "coming in" to the mind from outside. So we might think that there is some…
causative
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Anthropomorphism and AI
The human brain and computer based AI are vastly different systems. Although both may perform similar functions, the mechanisms are different: one is purely electrical and assembled, the other is bioelectrochemical and grown. If form follows…
user64314
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How does functionalism solve the mind-body problem?
I can see how dualism and physicalism addresses the mind-body problem, but I don't quite get how functionalism attempts to solve the mind-body problem.
Functionalism is just the thesis that mental states are functional states. But I can't see how…
liyuan
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Is there a mathematical grounding for functionalism?
Take the sep definition of functionalism:
Functionalism in the philosophy of mind is the doctrine that what makes something a mental state of a particular type does not depend on its internal constitution, but rather on the way it functions, or the…
causative
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Seeking Help on Cartesian Dualism and the Mind-Body Relationship
I'm currently studying philosophy and I'm struggling with the concept of Cartesian dualism, particularly in relation to other theories about the mind-body relationship. I'm wondering if anyone here thinks that Cartesian dualism is a tenable position…
cricket900
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