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Philosophy 352: Philosophy of Mind First Essay Topic (Due to me in
class,
This first essay is mostly an exegetical exercise meant to make sure we’ve all got a basic grasp of the major positions surrounding the mind-body problem. In around 4-5 well-reasoned – and proff-read— pages (about 1000 words - please not much more than that!), address the following line of questioning:
In your own words, and using examples as necessary, please describe the functionalist account of mental states. What are its major advantages over identity theories and logical behaviorism? How does it differ from Davidson’s anomalous monism, and how is it supposed to address the problem of mental causation? Finally, explain as well as you can, the troubles that Block finds with functionalism. How do you think a functionalist ought to respond?
In your response, please be sure to show that you know what all the italicized phrases above mean. That will be one of the primary things I’m looking for while I’m grading. |