Last class: Dualism vs. Materialism
Materialism-
-Reductive materialism= eliminative materialism- there are no mental things only brain states( just as there is no Zeus, only static discharges)
-mind-brain identity theory, hard behavioralism- materialist views
folk psych. language is ok for some things
water= H2O(morning star), colorless clear liquid(evening star)
morning star = evening star, same in reference, diff. in meaning
-Taylor- does not think mind-body prob is a prob. How can spiritual being effect a physical thing? Cant because there is no mind. Says that mind is body (brain).
person = human body. (supporting materialism)
1."Ordinary language" about persons supports materialism as well as dualism (equally).
2. Appeals to first person experience fail we know about consciousness though direct experience "I think, therefore, I am".
Consciousness is known directly: material world is an inference, a theoretic posit hypothesis. Pain is supposedly a mental thing. The mind is physical. Therefore pain is physical. Pain is an object of consciousness. Pain is physical therefore consciousness is physical. consciousness is an aspect of body.
Which is epistemologically basic( foundation of knowledge)
a) consciousness experienced directly
b) material world