MBTIT 25marker
- Created by: Freyae99
- Created on: 05-12-17 20:11
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- Does MBTIT prove that mental states are identical to brain states? (25marks)
- Intro: MBTIT fails to prove that mental states and brain states are type identical. A minor criticism raised is the indivisibility argument. A more substantial criticism that succeeds is the location problem.
- Para 1 (All AO1):
- Ontological reduction - ontological means claims about existence. Reduction means to reduce two concepts to one.
- Pain and pain neurones example. Conceptually they are different but in the actual world they are the same.
- MBTIT is a physicalist theory based on ontological reduction. It claims that mental properties just are physical properties.
- Para 2 (HARE)
- H: A minor criticism of MBTIT is the indivisibility argument raised by Descartes.
- A: The mind and brain cannot be identical because the brain is spatially divisible and the mind is not.
- R: Theory assumes that the mind is a 'thing' that can be divisible but it is not - it is just a property of the brain.
- E: The response to the argument is valid and therefore it fails to prove MBTIT is false
- Para 3 (HARE)
- H: Despite the failure of the indivisibility argument, MBTIT cannot claim victory. The location problem, based upon Leibniz's principle of the indiscernibility of identical creates an issue that isn't able to be over come.
- A: In order for something to be identical they must share all of the same properties. Brain states can be spatially located using the neurones that fire when it occures e.g. 2" into the left of the frontal cortex. The mind cannot be spatially located.
- R: JJC Smart responds saying that this is a linguistic issue. We have empirical evidence that mental states have a spatial location - the way we use language hasn't caught up with this yet.
- A: This response is strong, however it still doesn't overcome the fact that the two aren't identical so cannot be the same.
- E: When considering that this is the strongest argument and that the following response over come it, we can conclude that MBTIT fails to prove that mind and brain are identical.
- Conc: In conclusion MBTIT fails because it cannot overcome the indiscernibility of identical and therefore the two substances must not be the same.
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