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Single Idea 2587

[from 'The Nature of Mental States' by Hilary Putnam, in 17. Mind and Body / D. Property Dualism / 3. Property Dualism ]

Full Idea

The concept of temperature is not the same as the concept of mean molecular kinetic energy. But temperature is mean molecular kinetic energy.

Clarification

Their reference is the same, but their meaning is different

Gist of Idea

Temperature is mean molecular kinetic energy, but they are two different concepts

Source

Hilary Putnam (The Nature of Mental States [1968], p.52)

Book Reference

'The Philosophy of Mind', ed/tr. Beakley,B /Ludlow P [MIT 1992], p.52


A Reaction

This is the standard analogy for mind-brain identity, and it seems fair enough to me. The mind is the activity of the brain. It is rather unhelpful to think of weather in terms of chemistry, but it is actions of chemicals.