USING ONLY THE BOOK, Philosophy of Mind: Classical and Contemporary Readings, David Chalmers (ed), Oxford University Press. AND USING ONLY THE CHAPTERS
Dualism: excerpts from Rene Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy (C pp. 10-20)
Behaviorism: Rudolf Carnap ‘Psychology in Physical Language’ (C pp. 39-44)
The Identity Theory: U.T. Place ‘Is Consciousness a Brain Process?’ (C pp. 55-60)
The Identity Theory: J. J. C. Smart, ‘Sensations and Brain Processes’ (C pp. 60-67)
Write a five to seven page (double spaced, 12 point font) paper in which you answer the following questions:
Dualism: excerpts from Rene Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy (C pp. 10-20)
Behaviorism: Rudolf Carnap ‘Psychology in Physical Language’ (C pp. 39-44)
The Identity Theory: U.T. Place ‘Is Consciousness a Brain Process?’ (C pp. 55-60)
The Identity Theory: J. J. C. Smart, ‘Sensations and Brain Processes’ (C pp. 60-67)
Write a five to seven page (double spaced, 12 point font) paper in which you answer the following questions:
- Explain what Place means by ‘consciousness’ and what is characteristic of the mental states that involve consciousness.
- Though Place thinks that many mental states can be understood in behavioristic terms (along the lines of Carnap or something similar), he doesn’t think this about those involving consciousness. Why do you think he thinks that?
- What does Place think these conscious mental states are? That is, what are they identical to? Briefly (in a paragraph or two) explain what Descartes would say these mental states are.
- Explain what Place thinks would be required to establish the identity alluded to in 3.
- Does he do this? More generally, what is right and/or wrong about Place’s view?