Single Idea 3186

[catalogued under 17. Mind and Body / C. Functionalism / 1. Functionalism]

Full Idea

If many otherwise ordinary people turned out to have skulls which were empty or filled with oatmeal, would that mean that they didn't have minds?

Gist of Idea

If a normal person lacked a brain, would you say they had no mind?

Source

Georges Rey (Contemporary Philosophy of Mind [1997], 7.1.4)

Book Reference

Rey,Georges: 'Contemporary Philosophy of Mind' [Blackwell 1997], p.189


A Reaction

That's a John Locke sort of question, implying that 'persons' are logically independent of their implementation. Personally I would search for a radio receiver, because oatmeal is implausible as a thinker.