Metaphysics – “What is a person?”

Keep this powerpoint handy as you read. Follow the activities and directions.

CHAPTERS 13

Read Chapter 13•For pages 151 – 154, there are a lot of unusual stories. Do you believe them or not? Why or why not?• If you don’t believe these stories, do you believe in other things such as ghosts, spirits, that people can tell the future, that there is life after death, etc….? Why or why not?•The point here is not whether those stories are true or not. The point is that if you thinks stories like that can be true, then you most likely also believe that there is something more than just matter or “stuff” to the world. There is some spiritual or “mind stuff” that is not machine-like.

Philosophical Views of the PersonMetaphysi

cs

Monism

Materialism

Idealism

Dualism

Metaphysics asks, “What is there?” In this chapter, we are asking, “What is there?” specifically about a person. Are you a machine? Are you a machine with a soul? Are you a spirit only? Etc…

These three chapters present some common philosophical answers to these questions. Read carefully and use your imagination because the information can be challenging, but you can all grasp it.

These terms will all be defined in the chapter or in the powerpoint.

MonismEverything is one thing

Monism

Two types of “one thing” (Monism) are possible. (see p. 155)

1) Materialism (or physicalism) – everything is a material object. There are no minds, souls or spirits that are non-material. Everything is physical only.

2) Idealism – everything is mind or spirit. Everything we think is real is just an illusion. Some say these illusions are things in the mind of God (George Berkeley – see book) – others world views (such as Buddhism) say it is just an illusion. Nothing is real, material or lasting.

Monism

Watch the video on a form of ancient Greek monism at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNjmPyHIoOc.

There is no activity associated with the video for now, but it is an explains an example of monism that is no longer accepted todays.

Dualism2 types of

stuff

Two types of stuff (Dualism) are possible. (see p. 155- 159). There is physical stuff and spiritual stuff. Several varieties of this view.

Descartes (very famous philosopher, you should know his name) says physical things have size and mass. Mental/spiritual things are in time, but they take up no space.

Dualism

Possible to be a dualist about the world in general, but a materialist/physicalist about human beings. Perhaps there is a God who is non-physical, but human beings are only physical substances. (see p. 156)

This is not a common view.

Most people tend to be dualists. Why is that so? Do you think you have a mind, a spirit or a soul? If so, why? (Think about this for a minute. It would be a DO NOW if we were in class. DO NOW F21 (2 flood week ) 1 (for first). But you don’t really have to write it down. This is my attempt at humor.

Some answers: We feel that we are located in our bodies. We have consciousness. We feel we control our bodies. We think, we remember, we have minds. (p. 157 – 158)

The Contenders: How do the mind and body work together? (p. 158)1. Interactionism – minds and bodies are

separate, but they both interact with one another. Body events cause mental events and mental events cause bodily events. (p. 159)

2. Epiphenomenalism – mind is a byproduct of the body and its workings. (p. 160) Bodily events cause mental (or mind events), but the mind events NEVER cause body events (even if it seems like they do). (NOTE: Think about this idea in terms of determinism. Only physical events are causes.)

3. See next page for #3

The Contenders: How do the mind and body work together? (p. 158)3. Parallelism (p. 161) Mental and physical events

do not interact at all.Mental events CANNOT cause physical eventsPhysical events CANNOT cause mental events

Example: injury doesn’t cause pain. Light waves don’t cause us to see.

So how does everything work: A divine power (maybe God) makes everything work so that it seems like these things interact. They happen nearly-simultaneously.

So what?

“Most dualists are interactionists” (161) who believe that both mind and body can influence one another.

Chapter 14 will look at arguments for materialism.

What about materialism?

Keep this powerpoint handy as you read. Follow the activities and directions.

CHAPTERS 14

Why do we care about materialism?The following may be true if materialism is true.

1. If the materialist is right, then it is reasonable to conclude that after death, there is no life.

2. If the materialist is right, we may not have freewill.

3. If the materialist is right, there may be no moral right or wrong.

4. sIf the materialist is right, it may one day be possible to build a computer that is human.

Arguments FOR materialism #1 (164 – 168)1. Evolution means that humans came to be from

very simple organisms that clearly did not have any souls. Matter can only make matter. Matter (or physical stuff) cannot create a soul, so we cannot have a soul.

DUALIST RESPONSE: My son has curly hair and I do not. We can have qualities that our ancestors did not.

? For you: What does the materialism respond to the “DUALIST RESPONSE” – see p. 165 - 166

Arguments FOR materialism #2 (164 – 168)

2. Artificial intelligence argumentWe are like complicated machines, super computers of the future.

See the argument (syllogism – three step argument) – on page 167. Two syllogisms – both start with 1) The advanced supercomputer.

Read these arguments and understand them. Write out examples using proper nouns if that helps you understand. “The supercomputer doesn’t have a mind, so Mr. X doesn’t have a mind either.”

Arguments FOR materialism #3 (167 – 168)

3. Brain chemistry argumentWe are a product of the various chemicals and activities in our brains. There is no mind, only reactions to food, sleep, drugs, brain chemicals, etc…..

If you are able, watch the TED video at http://blog.ted.com/2006/09/06/helen_fisher_on/ and explain how the speaker demonstrates materialism supported by the brain chemistry argument. If you are able to do this, put it on your blog for a level 2 grade (quiz grade). If you are unable, it will have to wait until Bangkok has returned to normal. Please don’t worry.

Negative arguments – try to prove dualism wrong (168 - 174)

1. Superfluity argument – superfluous means unnecessary. Some materialists say that dualism is just unnecessary. We do not need it to explain what we see in human beings (168)

RESPONSES/OBJECTIONS BY DUALISTS (168 – 169)2. You can’t give evidence that all humans are

(our feeling of mind) can be explained scientifically.

3. So what? Even if it’s not necessary to have a mind, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

Negative arguments – try to prove dualism wrong (168 - 174)

2. Mystery Objection (170) – We cannot understand how dualism works, so we cannot believe it. (See book for details)

RESPONSES/OBJECTIONS BY DUALISTS (171)3. Just because we don’t understand it does

not mean that it is not true. (This is a very basic summary.)

Negative arguments – try to prove dualism wrong (168 - 174)

3. Problem of other minds (172 – 173) says we have no reason to believe that other people actually do have minds. They could be computers programmed to simulate people.

RESPONSES/OBJECTIONS BY DUALISTS (173)4. See chapter 6 – Principle of Belief

Conservation – essentially we are rational to hold a belief if we have no real evidence against it

Your turnI gave you the basic ideas in chapters 13 and 14. I hope that with the reading and the outline, it was enough to help you grasp the ideas.

For a quiz grade, I’m going to ask you to outline chapter 15 similar to the way I outlined chapters 13 and 14. You may make a powerpoint, you may handwrite it or you may type it. You may work with a friend to understand the material if necessary, but please create your own outline in your own words.

When you are done with your outline, list three questions that you still have about the topic. The questions can be either about materialism or dualism.