PHIL 201STUDY GUIDE: LESSON 9The Mind/Body ProblemLesson OverviewIn this lesson, we take on one of the most puzzling issues in metaphysics—the relationship between the immaterial mind and the material body. What is the nature of this relationship? Are there 2 substances, mind and body, or is it possible to reduce these to just 1 substance, mind or body? This is not just an abstract philosophical question, for it goes to the heart of who we are and has implications for psychology, morality, and theology.TasksView and take notes from the presentation, “The Mind/Body Problem.”We have two parts: A brain/ body and the mind. The mind has no physical properties. The mind has mental properties. Does mental activity. Reasoning, dreaming, wishing etc. Substant Dualism- This idea that we are made up of these two partsThe mind/body problem: How can these two essentially different things relate together. One made of matter one not.Relate- cause relationship. My mind causes my body to do things. Intentionally and unintentionally (when we get scared vs. when we sing) My body effects my mind. Drugs and alcohol We need to understand the nature of causality- what do we mean when something causes something to occur? Every causal event has 3 factors involved in it.Contiguity- contact Priority- the event occurs after the contact occursThe necessary connection- it is by contact that the event occurred indIn the mind/body problem contiguity is missing. My mind does not have the ability to physically contact something. A mental idea can’t come into contact with anything that is physical. Solutions:3 categories. 1. Want to maintain substance dualism2. Get rid of one or the other by reducing ita. Materialism- Reduce the mind to the brainb. Idealism-Tries to say there are no physical things and everything that exists are ideas3. Epiphenomenalism/ Emergentism- All we do have is a physical brain but the function of the physical brain causes mental things to occurPage 1 of 5PHIL 201View and take notes of the presentation, “Proposed Solutions to the Mind/Body Problem.” Mental state- Idea or thought you might havePhysical/ brain state- certain things occurring in our neuro system1. Interactionism- Mind and Body interact in some waya. Problem: This does not solve the Mind body problem it just restates it. We want toknow how they interact 2. Parallelism- For every physical state there exists a corresponding mental state, but there is no causal relationship between thema. Problem: How do you account for the relationship? 3. Pre-Established Harmony- Physical states have been preordained by God to correspond with appropriate mind states. Anytime I experience a physical state God provides the mental state. a. Problem: No free will, God is author of evil4. Occasionalism- On the occasion of physical stimuli God create the appropriate mental state. a. Problem: God still in control of mental statesAll of these are substance dualist views1. Epiphenomenalism- Mind is an emergent property of the brain; Brain can cause mind but not vice versa; mental state are a by-product of physical state. a. Problem: This view cannot account for actions that begin in the will. 2. Materialism-Only one substance exists: Matter. No mind, just brain. No mental state just physical state. 3. Idealism- Only one substance exists: Mental. No brain, just mind. No physical state, just mental state. Ideas. All that exists is mind and ideas. Page 2 of 5PHIL 201Read Chapter 3 of Metaphysics: Constructing a World View, “Minds and Bodies.” As you do, make sure you understand the following points and questions:1. Know Hasker’s statement of the mystery of the mind and body (and its difference from the problem as stated in the power point presentations). Hasker's statement of mystery of mind and body can be stated: How are we to explain the fact - or what seems to be the fact - that the very same entities, in particular human beings, are characterized by physical properties and by mental properties? - p.602. Explain the distinction between mental and physical properties. Mental: a property which can only characterize an entity which is possessed of some kindof consciousness or awareness. i.e. feeling pain, seeing something blue Physical: can characterize an ordinary physical object, whether or not that object is thought of as being alive or as being possessed of the mind, awareness, or consciousness. i.e. being purple, weighing 127 pounds3. What is Behaviorism’s way of avoiding the problem?4. What is Idealism’s way of avoiding the problem? Physical properties we have defined areactually ideas which exist only in our mindsIdealism states the ultimate constituents of physical objects5. Identify the problems with behaviorism and idealism. Some experiences by nature do not allow expression in overt behavior o Idealism runs so much against the normal beliefs about the world6. What is the meaning of dualism and dualistic interactionism? Dualism says humans have physical and mental properties physical properties are properties of the body, while mental properties are properties of the mind; the body has NO mental properties; vice versa7. What arguments/advantages of dualism and what are the problems with this view? It recognizes the existence of both physical and mental properties of human beings and it explains this fact in a straightforward way o It allows full scope for the scientific study ofnature o It recognizes thr existence of the spiritual part of man o Affirmation of free will o Harmonize with Christian worldview o Objection:attacking mind-body interaction8. Explain the meaning of materialism and the identity theory. Man is wholly a material being o Mind-body identity theory: does not deny that humans have both mental and physical attributes but says both of the attributes are of the same thing —the human; a human being IS his body9. Identify the arguments/advantages of materialism and problems with the view. Simplicity—materialism limits itself to the familiar material organism whose existence is indisputable and whose characteristics are readily available to scientific study o The dualist immaterial mind is seen as the barrier the would prevent us from fully integrating life and activity into a human life and activity into a unified scientific perspective in which the laws of science are the fundamental operating priciples of the universe o Accords with hope o Reduces man entirely to a physical organism functioning