Philosophy 4610Philosophy 4610Philosophy of MindPhilosophy of Mind

Week 1: IntroductionWeek 1: Introduction

Philosophy and the questionPhilosophy and the question Since ancient times, Since ancient times,

philosophers (and ordinary philosophers (and ordinary people) have wondered people) have wondered about the about the nature of thenature of the human mindhuman mind, what is , what is responsible for our thoughts, responsible for our thoughts, ideas, dreams, desires, ideas, dreams, desires, emotions and personal emotions and personal characteristics – in short, characteristics – in short, everything that makes us, everything that makes us, us.us.

Ancient philosophy and the Ancient philosophy and the question of mindquestion of mind

Some ancient thinkers identified the Some ancient thinkers identified the mindmind ((psychepsyche) with the heart.) with the heart.

Others, such as Plato, thought that the Others, such as Plato, thought that the psychepsyche was a non-physical “essence” of a was a non-physical “essence” of a human being that survives even after the human being that survives even after the body dies – something like the body dies – something like the soulsoul as it is as it is understood in Christianity.understood in Christianity.

Still others guessed that the mind might be Still others guessed that the mind might be identical with the identical with the brainbrain – the 3-pound – the 3-pound organ inside each of our heads.organ inside each of our heads.

Philosophy, Science, and the MindPhilosophy, Science, and the Mind

Modern science tells Modern science tells us that the human us that the human brain, though it brain, though it weighs only 3 weighs only 3 pounds, contains pounds, contains about about 100 billion100 billion (=100,000,000,000) (=100,000,000,000) active neurons or active neurons or brain cells. brain cells.

Philosophy, Science, and the MindPhilosophy, Science, and the Mind

These brain cells are These brain cells are constantly constantly communicating with communicating with each other electrically each other electrically to determine how our to determine how our brain receives signals brain receives signals from our sense from our sense organs and causes organs and causes muscles to move all muscles to move all over our bodies.over our bodies.

Philosophy: Mind, Brain, and the Philosophy: Mind, Brain, and the human beinghuman being

But is understanding the But is understanding the brain sufficient to explain brain sufficient to explain everythingeverything about our about our thoughts, emotions, and thoughts, emotions, and consciousness?consciousness?

Or is there “more to it” – Or is there “more to it” – some aspect or some aspect or dimension of human dimension of human beings that is essentially beings that is essentially non-physical or non-non-physical or non-material, and perhaps material, and perhaps cannot be explained in cannot be explained in scientific terms?scientific terms?

Philosophy of Mind: Philosophy of Mind: Minds and MachinesMinds and Machines

Contemporary cognitive Contemporary cognitive science has also been science has also been deeply influenced by the deeply influenced by the analogy between analogy between mindsminds and and computerscomputers..

The human brain is often The human brain is often seen as an “information seen as an “information processing” system that processing” system that takes in information from takes in information from the senses and the senses and processes it to produce processes it to produce behavior.behavior.

Philosophy of Mind: Philosophy of Mind: Artificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence

Yet is it really possible for a machine (a Yet is it really possible for a machine (a computer or robot) to think and be computer or robot) to think and be conscious as we can? If it is not possible, conscious as we can? If it is not possible, what is the essential difference between what is the essential difference between computers and human minds? If it is computers and human minds? If it is possible, then would we have to admit that possible, then would we have to admit that we ourselves are simply mere machines?we ourselves are simply mere machines?

Philosophy of Mind: Philosophy of Mind: The Consciousness ProblemThe Consciousness Problem

Human being seem to Human being seem to be different from almost be different from almost everything else in the everything else in the world in that we areworld in that we are consciousconscious of ourselves of ourselves and the world around us.and the world around us.

How can we explain this How can we explain this unique capacity? Is unique capacity? Is there a scientific there a scientific explanation? A religious explanation? A religious one?one?

Philosophy: Philosophy: The MatrixThe Matrix MORPHEUS: The MORPHEUS: The

Matrix is everywhere, Matrix is everywhere, it's all around us, here it's all around us, here even in this room. … even in this room. … It is the world that has It is the world that has been pulled over your been pulled over your eyes to blind you from eyes to blind you from the truth. the truth.

Philosophy: Philosophy: The MatrixThe Matrix NEO: This isn’t real?NEO: This isn’t real? MORPHEUS: What is MORPHEUS: What is

real? How do you define real? How do you define ‘real’? If you're talking ‘real’? If you're talking about your senses, what about your senses, what you feel, taste, smell, or you feel, taste, smell, or see, then all you're talking see, then all you're talking about are electrical about are electrical signals interpreted by signals interpreted by your brain. your brain.