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Single Idea 6541

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

Full Idea

The functionalist must find a level of characterisation of mental states that is not so abstract or behaviouristic as to rule out the possibility of inverted spectrum etc., nor so specific and structural as to fall into chauvinism.

Clarification

'Chauvinistic' implies that only human brains could have most of our experiences

Gist of Idea

Functionalism must not be too abstract to allow inverted spectrum, or so structural that it becomes chauvinistic

Source

William Lycan (Consciousness [1987], 5.4)

Book Ref

Lycan,William G.: 'Consciousness' [MIT 1995], p.54

A Reaction

If too specific then animals and aliens won't be able to implement the necessary functions; if the theory becomes very behaviouristic, then it loses interest in the possibility of an inverted spectrum. He is certainly right to hunt for a middle ground.

The 22 ideas with the same theme [mind is a causal network of functions]:

2683 Aristotle has a problem fitting his separate reason into the soul, which is said to be the form of the body [Ackrill on Aristotle]
1718 Does the mind think or pity, or does the whole man do these things? [Aristotle]
2588 Is pain a functional state of a complete organism? [Putnam]
2589 Functionalism is compatible with dualism, as pure mind could perform the functions [Putnam]
2592 Functional states correlate with AND explain pain behaviour [Putnam]
3461 Functionalists like the externalist causal theory of reference [Searle]
2324 Intentionality as function seems possible [Kim]
3379 Neurons seem to be very similar and interchangeable [Kim]
3388 Machine functionalism requires a Turing machine, causal-theoretical version doesn't [Kim]
2530 Could a robot be made conscious just by software? [Dennett]
2575 Functionalism is behaviourism, but with mental states as intermediaries [Block]
2576 In functionalism, desires are internal states with causal relations [Block]
2583 You might invert colours, but you can't invert beliefs [Block]
2467 Functionalists see pains as properties involving relations and causation [Fodor]
8131 Some qualities of experience, like blurred vision, have no function at all [Burge]
3186 If a normal person lacked a brain, would you say they had no mind? [Rey]
3127 Dualism and physicalism explain nothing, and don't suggest any research [Rey]
6541 Functionalism must not be too abstract to allow inverted spectrum, or so structural that it becomes chauvinistic [Lycan]
6545 If functionalism focuses on folk psychology, it ignores lower levels of function [Lycan]
7027 Functionalists say objects can be the same in disposition but differ in quality [Heil]
4759 Mental states as functions are second-order properties, realised by first-order physical properties [Engel]
18419 Folk Functionalism is a Ramsification of our folk psychology [Cappelen/Dever]