Mind & Body Life, the Universe, and Everything - PowerPoint Presentation

1. Mind & BodyLife, the Universe, and Everything

2. Plan for TodayI. Mind & BrainII. The Knowledge ArgumentIII. Objections to the Knowledge Argument A. Facts-vs-Truths Objection B. Ability Objection C. Semantic ObjectionIV. Conclusions

3. i. MIND & BRAIN

4. Mind & Brain

5. Mind & BrainThere are detailed correlations between the physical processes that take place in your brain, and the conscious experiences (feelings, sensations, moods, etc.) that you have.This is a scientifically established fact that everyone agrees about.

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8. Mind & Brain

9. Mind & BrainEveryone agrees that conscious experience correlates with brain activity. But the nature of the correlation is hotly disputed.There are currently two main schools of thought on this: materialism and dualism.

10. Mind & BrainEveryone agrees that conscious experience correlates with brain activity. But the nature of the correlation is hotly disputed.There are currently two main schools of thought on this: materialism and dualism.

11. Mind & BrainEveryone agrees that conscious experience correlates with brain activity. But the nature of the correlation is hotly disputed.There are currently two main schools of thought on this: materialism and dualism.

12. Mind & Brainmaterialism:Conscious experiences are just brain states. Sensations = physical events or processes occurring in your brain.Dualism:Conscious experiences are not just brain states. Sensations are non-physical effects of physical events or processes in your brain.

13. Mind & Brainmaterialism:Conscious experiences are just brain states. Sensations = physical events or processes occurring in your brain.dualism:Conscious experiences are not just brain states. Sensations are non-physical effects of physical events or processes in your brain.

14. Mind & BrainMaterialists say that the correlation between consciousness and brain activity is like the correlation between water and H2O, or between pressure and molecular motion: i.e., it is a case of identity (sameness).According to materialists, just as water is literally the same thing as H2O, consciousness is literally the same thing as some kind of electrochemical brain-process.

15. Mind & Brain

16. Mind & Brain Water = H2OThe presence of water perfectly correlates with the presence of H2O. That’s because water just is H2O: “water” and “H2O” are two words for the same thing.

17. Mind & Brain

18. Mind & Brain Pressure = molecular motionThere is a perfect correlation between the pressure of a gas and the average motion of the gas’s constituent molecules. That’s because pressure just is the motion of molecules (mean molecular kinetic energy).

19. Mind & BrainTo put it crudely, a materialist says that just as pressure is nothing but the motion of molecules in a container of gas, consciousness is nothing but the motion of molecules in a brain.For instance, a feeling of euphoria is just a release of endorphins by your hypothalamus. “Euphoria” and “hypothalamic endorphin secretion” are two terms for the same thing, like “water” and “H2O.”

20. Mind & BrainTo put it crudely, a materialist says that just as pressure is nothing but the motion of molecules in a container of gas, consciousness is nothing but the motion of molecules in a brain.For instance, a feeling of euphoria is just a release of endorphins by your hypothalamus. “Euphoria” and “hypothalamic endorphin secretion” are two terms for the same thing, like “water” and “H2O.”

21. My Euphoria

22. Mind & Brain

23. Mind & BrainDualists disagree with this.Euphoria correlates with endorphin-secretion: whenever someone feels euphoric, his or her brain releases endorphins, and whenever someone’s brain releases endorphins, he or she feels euphoric. But feelings of euphoria and endorphin secretions are not one and the same thing.Your euphoric feeling has a physical cause (a release of endorphins in your brain), but the euphoric feeling itself is not a physical event or process of any kind.

24. Mind & BrainDualists disagree with this.Euphoria correlates with endorphin-secretion: whenever someone feels euphoric, his or her brain releases endorphins, and whenever someone’s brain releases endorphins, he or she feels euphoric. But feelings of euphoria and endorphin secretions are not one and the same thing.Your euphoric feeling has a physical cause (a release of endorphins in your brain), but the euphoric feeling itself is not a physical event or process of any kind.

25. Mind & BrainDualists disagree with this.Euphoria correlates with endorphin-secretion: whenever someone feels euphoric, his or her brain releases endorphins, and whenever someone’s brain releases endorphins, he or she feels euphoric. But feelings of euphoria and endorphin secretions are not one and the same thing.Your euphoric feeling has a physical cause (a release of endorphins in your brain), but the euphoric feeling itself is not a physical event or process of any kind.

26. Mind & BrainDualists disagree with this.Euphoria correlates with endorphin-secretion: whenever someone feels euphoric, his or her brain releases endorphins, and whenever someone’s brain releases endorphins, he or she feels euphoric. But feelings of euphoria and endorphin secretions are not one and the same thing.Your euphoric feeling has a physical cause (a release of endorphins in your brain), but the euphoric feeling itself is not a physical event or process of any kind.

27. Mind & Brain

28. Mind & BrainThe Materialist Picture: environment  The Dualist Picture: environment

29. Mind & BrainThe Materialist Picture: environment  The Dualist Picture: environment

30. Mind & BrainThe Materialist Picture: environment → changes in sense organs   The Dualist Picture: environment → changes in sense organs

31. Mind & BrainThe Materialist Picture: environment → changes in sense organs → brain event  The Dualist Picture: environment → changes in sense organs → brain event

32. Mind & BrainThe Materialist Picture: environment → changes in sense organs → brain event   The Dualist Picture: environment → changes in sense organs → brain event → conscious experience

33. Mind & BrainThe Materialist Picture: environment → changes in sense organs → brain event   The Dualist Picture: environment → changes in sense organs → brain event → conscious experience This is not a physical event.

34. Mind & BrainThe Materialist Picture: environment → changes in sense organs → brain event   conscious experience (a physical event) The Dualist Picture: environment → changes in sense organs → brain event → conscious experience This is not a physical event.=

35. ii. the knowledge argument

36. The Knowledge Argument

37. The Knowledge ArgumentYou could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.If materialism were true, this would be impossible.So, materialism is false.

38. The Knowledge ArgumentYou could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.If materialism were true, this would be impossible.So, materialism is false.

39. The Knowledge ArgumentYou could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.If materialism were true, this would be impossible.So, materialism is false.

40. The Knowledge ArgumentYou could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.If materialism were true, this would be impossible.So, materialism is false.?

41. You could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.If materialism were true, this would be impossible.So, materialism is false.?If materialism were true, it would be impossible to know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.

42. If materialism were true, it would be impossible to know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.

43. If materialism were true, it would be impossible to know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.Since a person’s appendix is just a part of that person’s physical nature, it’s impossible to know everything about a person’s physical nature without knowing everything about that person’s appendix.

44. If materialism were true, it would be impossible to know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.

45. If materialism were true, it would be impossible to know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.Materialism says that a person’s conscious experiences are, like the person’s appendix, just a part of his or her physical nature (chemical reactions in the the person’s brain).So, if materialism is true, there’s no way to know everything about a person’s physical nature without knowing everything about his or her conscious experiences.

46. If materialism were true, it would be impossible to know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.Materialism says that a person’s conscious experiences are, like the person’s appendix, just a part of his or her physical nature (chemical reactions in the the person’s brain).So, if materialism is true, there’s no way to know everything about a person’s physical nature without knowing everything about his or her conscious experiences.

47. If materialism were true, it would be impossible to know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.Since materialists say:brain = mind they must also say: full knowledge of brain = full knowledge of mind

48. You could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.If materialism were true, this would be impossible.So, materialism is false.

49. You could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.If materialism were true, this would be impossible.So, materialism is false.

50. You could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.If materialism were true, this would be impossible.So, materialism is false.

51. “You could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.”You could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.If materialism were true, this would be impossible.So, materialism is false.

52. “You could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.”

53. “You could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.”

54. “You could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.”Mary is a brilliant scientist who has devoted her entire life to studying the physical basis of human vision.She knows all about human eyes and human brains, and all about how exposure to light of different wavelengths and intensities leads to various microphysical events in the retina, optical nerves, and occipital lobe.

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56. But Mary has acquired all this information from inside a high-tech facility where all the colors are shades of gray.She has never been outside this facility, although she is free to communicate with people from outside via telephone, radio, and black-and-white video relay.

57. But Mary has acquired all this information from inside a high-tech facility where all the colors are shades of gray.She has never been outside this facility, although she is free to communicate with people from outside via telephone, radio, and black-and-white video relay.

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61. “You could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.”Does Mary learn something when she sees the mural?Yes! She learns what it is like to see in color.Before seeing the mural, she knew that people outside her prison had colorful experience when viewing the mural.But she didn’t know what their experience was like.For example, she didn’t know that it was like this:

62. “You could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.”Does Mary learn something when she sees the mural?Yes! She learns what it is like to see in color.Before seeing the mural, she knew that people outside her prison had colorful experience when viewing the mural.But she didn’t know what their experience was like.For example, she didn’t know that it was like this:

63. “You could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.”Does Mary learn something when she sees the mural?Yes! She learns what it is like to see in color.Before seeing the mural, she knew that people outside her prison had colorful experience when viewing the mural.But she didn’t know what their experience was like.For example, she didn’t know that it was like this:

64. “You could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.”Does Mary learn something when she sees the mural?Yes! She learns what it is like to see in color.Before seeing the mural, she knew that people outside her prison had colorful experience when viewing the mural.But she didn’t know what their experience was like.For example, she didn’t know that it was like this:

65. “You could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.”Does Mary learn something when she sees the mural?Yes! She learns what it is like to see in color.Before seeing the mural, she knew that people outside her prison had colorful experience when viewing the mural.But she didn’t know what their experience was like.For example, she didn’t know that it was like this:

66. “You could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.”Does Mary learn something when she sees the mural?Yes! She learns what it is like to see in color.Before seeing the mural, she knew that people outside her prison had colorful experience when viewing the mural.But she didn’t know what their experience was like.For example, she didn’t know that it was like this:

67. “You could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.”Does Mary learn something when she sees the mural?Yes! She learns what it is like to see in color.Before seeing the mural, she knew that people outside her prison had colorful experience when viewing the mural.But she didn’t know what their experience was like.For example, she didn’t know that it was like this:

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70. The Knowledge ArgumentYou could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.If materialism were true, this would be impossible.So, materialism is false.

71. The Knowledge ArgumentYou could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.If materialism were true, this would be impossible.So, materialism is false.such as an ordinary human being

72. The Knowledge ArgumentYou could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.If materialism were true, this would be impossible.So, materialism is false.such as an ordinary human beingsuch as what it’s like for an ordinary human being to see colorful objects

73. The Knowledge ArgumentYou could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.If materialism were true, this would be impossible.So, materialism is false.

74. The Knowledge ArgumentYou could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.If materialism were true, this would be impossible.So, materialism is false.

75. The Knowledge ArgumentYou could know everything about the physical nature of some creature, and yet not know everything about that creature’s conscious experience.If materialism were true, this would be impossible.So, materialism is false.!

76. iii. Objections to the knowledge argument

77. There are three main objections to the knowledge argument: Facts-vs-Truths objectionAbility objectionSemantic objection

78. Facts-vs-Truths Objection

79. Facts-vs-Truths ObjectionPaul Churchland,materialist

80. Facts-vs-Truths ObjectionMaterialism just says that all facts are physical facts.So, as long as Mary doesn’t learn any new facts when she sees the mural, she poses no threat to materialism.Paul Churchland,materialist

81. Facts-vs-Truths ObjectionPaul Churchland,materialist

82. Facts-vs-Truths ObjectionIt’s a fact that the sea contains water. It’s also a fact that the sea contains H2O. But the fact that the sea contains water is the same fact as the fact that the sea contains H2O.So if you know the sea contains water, and then learn that the sea contains H2O, you don’t learn any new fact. You just learn a new truth that’s made true by a fact you already knew.Paul Churchland,materialist

83. Facts-vs-Truths ObjectionIt’s a fact that the sea contains water. It’s also a fact that the sea contains H2O. But the fact that the sea contains water is the same fact as the fact that the sea contains H2O.So if you know the sea contains water, and then learn that the sea contains H2O, you don’t learn any new fact. You just learn a new truth that’s made true by a fact you already knew.Paul Churchland,materialist

84. Facts-vs-Truths ObjectionIt’s a fact that the sea contains water. It’s also a fact that the sea contains H2O. But the fact that the sea contains water is the same fact as the fact that the sea contains H2O.So if you know the sea contains water, and then learn that the sea contains H2O, you don’t learn any new fact. You just learn a new truth that’s made true by a fact you already knew.Paul Churchland,materialist

85. FACT

86. Truth #1:“The sea is filled with water.”Truth #2:“The sea is filled with H2O.”makes truemakes trueFACT

87. Facts-vs-Truths ObjectionPaul Churchland,materialist

88. Facts-vs-Truths ObjectionWhen Mary sees the mural, she learns a new truth. But the new truth is a truth about a physical fact (about human brains) that Mary already knew (by knowing the relevant neuroscience). Thus, when Mary sees the mural, she learns a new truth, but she doesn’t learn any new fact.Paul Churchland,materialist

89. FACTFACT

90. Truth #1:“When people see the mural directly, such-and-such chemical events occur in their brains.”Truth #2:“When people see the mural directly, they have experience like this: .”makes truemakes trueFACTFACT

91. Dualist’s ReplyFrank Jackson(author of the Knowledge Argument)

92. Dualist’s ReplyIf materialism is true, then Mary knows all the facts, even before she sees the mural.But if Mary already knows all the facts, then she already knows all the facts about all the truths.But if Mary already knows all the facts about all the truths, how can she learn a new truth? Frank Jackson(author of the Knowledge Argument)

93. Dualist’s ReplyIf materialism is true, then Mary knows all the facts, even before she sees the mural.But if Mary already knows all the facts, then she already knows all the facts about all the truths.But if Mary already knows all the facts about all the truths, how can she learn a new truth? Frank Jackson(author of the Knowledge Argument)

94. Dualist’s ReplyIf materialism is true, then Mary knows all the facts, even before she sees the mural.But if Mary already knows all the facts, then she already knows all the facts about all the truths.But if Mary already knows all the facts about all the truths, how can she learn a new truth? Frank Jackson(author of the Knowledge Argument)

95. Dualist’s ReplyMaybe you can know a fact without knowing all the statements that it makes true.But if you know all facts, it’s hard to see how there can be any true statement that you don’t know.After all, for each true statement, it’s a fact that that statement is true.Frank Jackson(author of the Knowledge Argument)

96. Dualist’s ReplyMaybe you can know a fact without knowing all the statements that it makes true.But if you know all facts, it’s hard to see how there can be any true statement that you don’t know.After all, for each true statement, it’s a fact that that statement is true.Frank Jackson(author of the Knowledge Argument)

97. Dualist’s ReplyMaybe you can know a fact without knowing all the statements that it makes true.But if you know all facts, it’s hard to see how there can be any true statement that you don’t know.After all, for each true statement, it’s a fact that the statement is true!Frank Jackson(author of the Knowledge Argument)

98. Ability ObjectionIt is true that we, with our limited information, cannot imagine what it is like to have a bat’s experiences. It is also true that an ordinary colorblind person does not know what it is like to see in color.

99. Ability ObjectionPaul Churchland,materialist

100. Ability ObjectionMary learns something when she sees the mural, but only in the sense that she acquires a new ability.Before she saw the mural, Mary couldn’t imagine things in color.After seeing it, she can imagine things in color.But gaining this new ability doesn’t require her to gain knowledge of any new facts.Paul Churchland,materialist

101. Ability ObjectionMary learns something when she sees the mural, but only in the sense that she acquires a new ability.Before she saw the mural, Mary couldn’t imagine things in color.After seeing it, she can imagine things in color.But gaining this new ability doesn’t require her to gain knowledge of any new facts.Paul Churchland,materialist

102. Ability ObjectionMary learns something when she sees the mural, but only in the sense that she acquires a new ability.Before she saw the mural, Mary couldn’t imagine things in color.After seeing it, she can imagine things in color.But gaining this new ability doesn’t require her to gain knowledge of any new facts.Paul Churchland,materialist

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104. Dualist’s Reply

105. Dualist’s ReplyThere are people who can see perfectly well, but who, due to a neurological disorder, are unable to call up visual images in their imaginations.If Mary is one of those people, she can never gain the ability to imagine colorful things. But she can still learn what it’s like to see colorful things, by looking at the mural.

106. Dualist’s ReplyThere are people who can see perfectly well, but who, due to a neurological disorder, are unable to call up visual images in their imaginations.If Mary is one of those people, she can never gain the ability to imagine colorful things. But she can still learn what it’s like to see colorful things, by looking at the mural.

107. Dualist’s ReplyThere are people who can see perfectly well, but who, due to a neurological disorder, are unable to call up visual images in their imaginations.If Mary is one of those people, she can never gain the ability to imagine colorful things. But she can still learn what it’s like to see colorful things, by looking at the mural.

108. Semantic ObjectionPaul Churchland,materialist

109. Semantic ObjectionThis statement: (1) “Mary knows what it’s like to have color experience.”is synonymous with this statement: (2) “Mary has had color experience.”The fact that (2) is true doesn’t explain the fact that (1) is true. Rather, (1) and (2) are just two ways of saying exactly the same thing.Paul Churchland,materialist

110. Semantic ObjectionThis statement: (1) “Mary knows what it’s like to have color experience.”is synonymous with this statement: (2) “Mary has had color experience.”The fact that (2) is true doesn’t explain the fact that (1) is true. Rather, (1) and (2) are just two ways of saying exactly the same thing.Paul Churchland,materialist

111. Semantic ObjectionMary didn’t know what it was like to have color experience, until she saw the mural.But that just means that Mary never had color experience, until she saw the mural.When she sees the mural, the only thing that changes is that she goes from never having had color experience, to having had color experience.She can undergo this change without acquiring knowledge of any new facts.Paul Churchland,materialist

112. Semantic ObjectionMary didn’t know what it was like to have color experience, until she saw the mural.But that just means that Mary never had color experience, until she saw the mural.When she sees the mural, the only thing that changes is that she goes from never having had color experience, to having had color experience.She can undergo this change without acquiring knowledge of any new facts.Paul Churchland,materialist

113. Semantic ObjectionMary didn’t know what it was like to have color experience, until she saw the mural.But that just means that Mary never had color experience, until she saw the mural.When she sees the mural, the only thing that changes is that she goes from never having had color experience, to having had color experience.She can undergo this change without acquiring knowledge of any new facts.Paul Churchland,materialist

114. Semantic ObjectionMary didn’t know what it was like to have color experience, until she saw the mural.But that just means that Mary never had color experience, until she saw the mural.When she sees the mural, the only thing that changes is that she goes from never having had color experience, to having had color experience.She can undergo this change without acquiring knowledge of any new facts.Paul Churchland,materialist

115. Dualist’s Reply

116. Dualist’s ReplySuppose Mary never has another color experience after seeing the mural, and that after many years she forgets what it’s like to have color experience. After she forgets, it will false that Mary knows what it’s like to have color experience.But it will remain true that (2) Mary has had color experience. This proves that (1) and (2) are not synonymous.

117. Dualist’s ReplySuppose Mary never has another color experience after seeing the mural, and that after many years she forgets what it’s like to have color experience. After she forgets, it will false that Mary knows what it’s like to have color experience.But it will remain true that (2) Mary has had color experience. This proves that (1) and (2) are not synonymous.

118. Dualist’s ReplySuppose Mary never has another color experience after seeing the mural, and that after many years she forgets what it’s like to have color experience. After she forgets, it will false that Mary knows what it’s like to have color experience.But it will remain true that (2) Mary has had color experience. This proves that (1) and (2) are not synonymous.

119. iV. CONCLUSIONS

120. Conclusions

121. ConclusionsAre conscious states just brain states? Materialists say yes, dualists say no.A main argument in favor of dualism (and against materialism) is the Knowledge Argument.We considered the three main objections people have raised against the Knowledge Argument.None of the objections is conclusive.Debate about the Knowledge Argument is ongoing, but if the argument succeeds, you are not just a bunch of atoms: there’s more to you than any purely physical/chemical/biological story can tell.

122. ConclusionsAre conscious states just brain states? Materialists say yes, dualists say no.A main argument in favor of dualism (and against materialism) is the Knowledge Argument.We considered the three main objections people have raised against the Knowledge Argument.None of the objections is conclusive.Debate about the Knowledge Argument is ongoing, but if the argument succeeds, you are not just a bunch of atoms: there’s more to you than any purely physical/chemical/biological story can tell.

123. ConclusionsAre conscious states just brain states? Materialists say yes, dualists say no.A main argument in favor of dualism (and against materialism) is the Knowledge Argument.We considered the three main objections people have raised against the Knowledge Argument.None of the objections is conclusive.Debate about the Knowledge Argument is ongoing, but if the argument succeeds, you are not just a bunch of atoms: there’s more to you than any purely physical/chemical/biological story can tell.

124. ConclusionsAre conscious states just brain states? Materialists say yes, dualists say no.A main argument in favor of dualism (and against materialism) is the Knowledge Argument.We considered the three main objections people have raised against the Knowledge Argument.None of the objections is conclusive.Debate about the Knowledge Argument is ongoing, but if the argument succeeds, you are not just a bunch of atoms: there’s more to you than any purely physical/chemical/biological story can tell.

125. ConclusionsAre conscious states just brain states? Materialists say yes, dualists say no.A main argument in favor of dualism (and against materialism) is the Knowledge Argument.We considered the three main objections people have raised against the Knowledge Argument.None of the objections is conclusive.Debate about the Knowledge Argument is ongoing, but if the argument succeeds, you are not just a bunch of atoms: there’s more to you than any purely physical/chemical/biological story can tell.

126. End of lecture.