MBTIT

Question 1

What is MBTIT?

Answer 1

Types of mental states are ontologically reducible/identical to types of brain states. E.g, mental states are brain states.

Question 2

What is ontological reduction?

Answer 2

Continently identical e.g, brain states and mental states are contingently identical, thus mental states ontologically reduce to brain states.

An ontological reduction is NOT an analytic reduction - no contradiction.

E.g, water is H20

Question 3

Explain Ockham’s razor in favour of physicalism.

Answer 3

Used as an argument in favour of physicalism more generally.
We can explain just as much about mental states by referring to the brain as we can by referring to a non-physical mind.

E.g, a physicalist would say that c-fibres and pain are the same physical thing, just different concepts.

Question 4

Explain the denial of analytic reduction

Answer 4

Smart - ontological reduction does not imply or entail an analytic reduction
Mental states and brain states are ontologically identical - but mental states state language is not synonymous with brain state language.

Question 5

Philosophical considerations

Answer 5

If there are phenomenal properties, then they will be reducible to brain states ,
If there are intentional properties, then they will be reducible to brain states.

Question 6

Interaction problem applied to MBTIT

Answer 6

• Mental states are brain states
• Brain states can interact and cause changes in the body (e.g, cause behaviour)
• Therefore, our mental states do causally interact with our brain and body.

Question 7

Problem of other minds

Answer 7

• Types of mental states are types of brain states
• To have consciousness is just to have a particular kind of brain state
• So we can, hypothetically,I know whether people have minds by seeing whether they have brains.

Question 8

Problem of multiple realisability

Answer 8

If MS1 are identical to BS1 (MS1=BS1), but mental states can be multiply realised (MS1=BS2, BS3 etc), then contradictions occur

(M2=B1, M1=B2 - B1 DOES NOT EQUAL B2)

Question 9

Problem of chauvinism

Answer 9

MBTIT -> humans are the only beings that can have mental states -> eliminates mental states in other species based upon MS being identified with HUMAN brain states.