mind-body essay
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Dec 6, 2023
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The Mind-Body Problem
Gitesh kalra
College of business,Grand canyon univeristy
PHI-103
Prof.Gary Osmundsen
03/12/2023
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The Mind-Body Problem
The mind-body problem is how the brain or "mind" is intimately linked to the human
body and physical environment. Scientists have addressed this question through an examination
of patterns and categories of what they termed "the data"—what they tested, observed, and
reasoned in relation to. It is an important part of modern science because it helps us test
hypotheses and reformulate theories.
The Issues Related to the Mind-Body Problem
The mind-body problem is an investigation that investigates how the mind and body
interact, which leads to whether or not the mind is merely a product of brain activity. Many
scientific theories have been proposed to explain this interaction between self-awareness and
neurological function (Young, 2020). The mind-body problem is ontological, posed in
epistemology and philosophy of mind. Some of its prominent issues are: How can the brain be
studied scientifically? What is the relationship between consciousness and identity? How much
do mental processes depend on material properties? The mind-body problem is that sense of the
relationship between our mental lives and underlying physical structures. Most philosophers
agree on some conditions of the problem. The first step in resolving it is to understand the mind-
body relations.The
process can be difficult since multiple definitions may vary from scientists to
theologians and others (Young, 2020). No matter how hard scientists try, they can only
sometimes explain what their experiments are finding . It can be sometimes accurate, and it can
fall off too. This is especially true of the mind-body problem because it is so difficult to construct
a theory that describes the relationship between what happens in our brains and our behavior and
it is really hard to figure it out.
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Philosophical Solutions to the Mind-Body Problem
Type identity theory is the first and most serious to confer physicalism to mind-body
interactions. It is a traditional way to approach the mind-body problem which asserts that there is
no difference between your mind and brain. The theory argues that our minds work like brains,
using all their parts together , Type identity theory states that only one substance—the mind—
exists in 3 different forms (conceptual, bodily, and behavioral) (Vintiadis, 2021). Functionalist
physicalism asserts that mental functions exist and are constructed from parts that the scientist
can see. The theory states that mental phenomena have a physical basis which functional
relations between brain mechanisms can explain. The Property dualism holds that different
substances and functions exist within each other. Property dualism states that the mind and the
body are fundamental but separated into two radically different types of substance (Vintiadis,
2021). Substance dualism posits that multiple substances or substances have different properties
depending on how they were created or formed. Substance dualism suggests that mind and body
are different aspects of the same underlying entity.
The mind-body problem is a philosophical problem regarding the relationship between
mind and body and it can also create problems for individuals.
It is signal which mind gives the
body and the body perform those actions. Philosophers have proposed various views to resolve it
but have yet to gain consensus and The most notable position is identity theory, which states that
mental events are identical to physical ones. Functionalism maintains that there are functions of
the brain and the mind which determine how we perceive and behave,
Property dualism is an
influential hypothesis claiming the mind has properties separate from the brain; substance
dualism proposes that minds are distinct from brains in immaterial substances.
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Substance Dualism
Substance dualism is the best way to solve the mind-body contingency problem.It can be
the best way to solve it .The physical identity theory that animals are only magical creatures
initiated by material things, common sense conversely states that we are minds and bodies
simultaneously with each other (Blum, 2019). This is because bodily sensations and thoughts can
be experienced both for themselves and their relationship with the body and the things around us
and it can also give a sense to solve the problems.The function of our philosophical position
would be to describe the mutual relationship between mind and body but also argue how mental
states are linked to physical states and the mind is connected to our body and body follows the
signals which mind send it and perform those In this case, a functional interpretation of dualism
relies on a different approach to interpreting mental and physical and a different ontology.
Philosopher John Searle argues that we are no more than brains in a vat. Thus, he believes that
the mind and body are just different parts of the same thing. Philosopher Donald Davidson
persists that mental events and physical events are fundamentally different. He argues that an
event cannot be described merely by referring to its location or time (Blum, 2019). So depending
on how one answers these questions, one can look at mind-body dualism or materialism
differently.
Conclusion
A conclusion of the mind-body problem refers to a theory that would try to explain
whether our mind and body are different or simply different aspects of ourselves and This theory
would propose that our mind is an immaterial part of ourselves, essentially behaving as a
software program that talks to the brain to produce free will, emotions, consciousness, and other
things that we often attribute to the spiritual real. It can also create problems for individuals as
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signals the mind give to the body be different and body perform different signals.
Intelligent
solutions to the mind-body problem assert some dualism. This is a tricky issue because
distinguishing between these theories can often take time and effort.
References
Blum, P. R. (2019). Substance dualism in descartes.
Introduction to philosophy: Philosophy of
mind
.
Vintiadis, E. (2021). Property dualism.
Some Problems of Philosophy
.
Young, R. M. (2020). The mind–body problem. In
Companion to the history of modern science
(pp. 702–711). Routledge.