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Single Idea 4967

[filed under theme 17. Mind and Body / A. Mind-Body Dualism / 7. Zombies ]

Full Idea

Prima facie, it would seem that it is a least logically possible the brain state corresponding to pain should have existed (Jones's brain could have been in exactly that state at the time in question) without Jones feeling any pain at all.

Clarification

'Prima facie' means at first sight

Gist of Idea

It seems logically possible to have the pain brain state without the actual pain

Source

Saul A. Kripke (Naming and Necessity lectures [1970], Lecture 3)

Book Ref

Kripke,Saul: 'Naming and Necessity' [Blackwell 1980], p.146


A Reaction

This is Kripke's commitment to the possibility of zombies, which are only possible if the mind-body connection is a contingent one, and he shows that there are no contingent 'identities'. The answer is necessary identity, and no zombies.


The 11 ideas with the same theme [possible complete human, but lacking awareness]:

It's impossible, but imagine a body carrying on normally, but with no mind [Leibniz]
Identity theorists must deny that pains can be imagined without brain states [Kripke]
It seems logically possible to have the pain brain state without the actual pain [Kripke]
Without internal content, a zombie's full behaviour couldn't be explained [Searle]
Can we describe our experiences to zombies? [Nagel]
Are inverted or absent qualia coherent ideas? [Kim]
What could demonstrate that zombies and inversion are impossible? [Kim]
If I can have a zombie twin, my own behaviour doesn't need consciousness [Chalmers]
Philosophers' zombies aim to show consciousness is over and above the physical world [Heil]
Zombies are based on the idea that consciousness relates contingently to the physical [Heil]
Functionalists deny zombies, since identity of functional state means identity of mental state [Heil]