LECTURE 27
A FOURTH ARGUMENT FOR
DUALISM
THE “PURPLE GOO” ARGUMENT:
SCORPIANS AND HUMANS
THE CONSTELLATION SCORPIO (SCORPIUS)
ALIEN FROM A GALAXY IN THE CONSTELLATION
SCORPIO (ALSO JUST HAPPENS TO LOOK LIKE A
SCORPIAN)
THE “PURPLE GOO” ARGUMENT
(1) IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THERE TO BE RATIONAL BEINGS WHOSE
PHYSICAL MAKEUP IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM OURS, BUT WHO
PERCEIVE AND THINK.
(2) THE PHYSICAL PROCESSES IN SUCH BEINGS WHEN THEY ARE
THINKING OR PERCEIVING WOULD BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE
BRAIN PROCESSES IN US.
(3) IF THE BRAIN PROCESSES IN US ARE IDENTICAL WITH THINKING
AND PERCEIVING, THEN THEY ARE NECESSARILY IDENTICAL WITH
THINKING AND PERCEIVING.
THEREFORE: BRAIN PROCESSES ARE NOT IDENTICAL WITH THINKING
AND PERCEIVING.
A CLOSE-UP LOOK AT A SCORPIAN’S “BRAIN”
WHEN IT IS THINKING THAT EARTHLINGS ARE
STUPID. NO PHYSICAL PROCESS WE RECOGNIZE IS
GOING ON.
A HUMAN BRAIN
A HUMAN BRAIN WHILE THE PERSON IS
THINKING THAT EARTHINGS ARE STUPID
THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON DRUGS
IF SCORPIANS ARE SO MUCH AS POSSIBLE, THE
ARGUMENT SEEMS TO SHOW THAT BRAIN
PROCESSES ARE NOT MENTAL PROCESSES
THE MODAL PRINCIPLE USED IS “THE NECESSITY OF IDENTITY”:
IF X AND Y ARE IDENTICAL, THEN X AND Y ARE NECESSARILY IDENTICAL
THIS PRINCIPLE IS CORRECT IF PROPERLY UNDERSTOOD. WE DO NOT
EXPLAIN THIS FURTHER IN THIS CLASS
(CF. PHILOSOPHICAL LOGIC, FALL 2014)
VAN INWAGEN’S RESPONSE
IT REALLY ISN’T CLEAR THAT SUCH BEINGS ARE EVEN POSSIBLE.
HOWEVER, EVEN IF THEY ARE POSSIBLE, THE PHYSICALIST HAS TWO
REPLIES. BOTH DEPEND ON THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN “TYPES” AND
“TOKENS” AS APPLIED TO EVENTS OR PROCESSES.
AN EVENT TYPE IS A GENERAL KIND OF EVENT: WAR, DEATH, EATING, ..
AND SO ON. A TOKEN OF A TYPE IS A CONCRETE EVENT OR PROCESS.
WORLD WAR 1, CONSISTING OF ALL THE CONCRETE EVENTS THAT
WERE INVOLVED, IS A TOKEN OF THE TYPES “WAR” AND “WORLD
WAR.”
TYPE-TYPE PHYSICALISM VS. TOKEN-TOKEN
PHYSICALISM
TYPE-TYPE PHYSICALISM: EVERY MENTAL EVENT TYPE IS IDENTICAL WITH
SOME PHYSICAL EVENT TYPE.
E.G. “PAIN = STIMULATION OF C-FIBERS” IS CLAIMED TO BE A TRUE
IDENTITY (FOR SOME PHYSICAL PROCESS, HERE PRESENTED BY STIMULATION
OF C-FIBERS). THIS IS A VERY STRONG THESIS. IT RULES OUT THE
POSSIBILITY OF SCORPIANS FEELING PAIN. PHILOSOPHERS ALSO COMPLAIN
THAT THIS IS ARM-CHAIR NEURO-PHYSIOLOGY. WE MUST DO EMPIRICAL
RESEARCH TO SEE WHAT EVENT TYPES ARE TO BE IDENTIFIED (IF ANY)
MOST PHYSICALISTS ACCEPT THE WEAKER:
TOKEN-TOKEN PHYSICALISM: EVERY PARTICULAR MENTAL EVENT TOKEN IS
IDENTICAL WITH SOME PHYSICAL EVENT TOKEN.
SO A PERSON’S PARTICULAR THOUGHT MAY BE
IDENTICAL WITH SOME PHYSICO-CHEMICAL
ACTIVITY IN HIS/HER BRAIN.
THIS DOES NOT RULE OUT A SCORPIAN’S THOUGHT TOKEN BEING
IDENTICAL WITH A PHYSICAL DISTURBANCE OF SOME SORT IN HIS
PURPLE GOO “BRAIN”.
THE SECOND REPLY IS THAT EVEN TYPE-TYPE PHYSICALISM MAY BE
COMPATIBLE WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF SCORPIANS WITH PURPLE GOO
“BRAINS”. TYPES CAN BE MORE OR LESS ABSTRACT. IT IS POSSIBLE
THAT SOME VERY ABSTRACT TYPE HAS BRAIN ACTIVITIES AND PURPLE
GOO DISTURBANCES AS BOTH BEING OF THAT TYPE. (FOR MORE
DETAIL, CF. VAN INWAGEN’S “RADIO ANALOGY’)
ANGELINA JOLIE THINKING ABOUT
TOKEN-TOKEN PHYSICALISM
LECTURE 28, ON FRIDAY, WILL BE A REVIEW
SESSION
GO OVER THE STUDY QUESTIONS AND
THE READINGS AND WRITE DOWN ANY
QUESTIONS OR PUZZLES YOU MAY HAVE
ABOUT THEM. BE SURE TO REVIEW: THE
MODAL ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT AND
THE METAPHYSICAL ARGUMENT AGAINST
THE PRINCIPLE OF SUFFICIENT REASON.
FINAL EXAMINATION
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 4:00-7:00 P.M. IN
THIS ROOM. THE EXAMINATION WILL COVER
CHAPTERS 6-10, THE INTRODUCTORY
MATERIAL TO THESE CHAPTERS, THE
ADDITIONAL READINGS, THE LOGIC
HANDOUT, AND ALL HANDOUTS SINCE THE
MID-TERM EXAMINATION.
BRING A BLUE BOOK.