Continuing on functionalism with David M. Armstrong’s "The Causal Theory of the Mind" (1981). We reconvened a day after Part One on Putnam to come back with fresh energy, considering Armstrong, who self-consciously presents himself as a defender of science: It's the most likely scientific hypothesis that mental states are physical states of the brain, and it's the Continue Reading …
Ep. 221: Functionalist Theories of Mind (Putnam, Armstrong) (Citizen Edition)
On Hilary Putnam’s "The Nature of Mental States" (1973) and David M. Armstrong’s "The Causal Theory of the Mind" (1981). What is the mind? Mark, Wes, Dylan, and Seth consider a theory of mind that defines things not by what they're made of, but what they do. What does this mean? Well, what makes something a mousetrap, for instance, is that it catches mice. It could be made Continue Reading …