Functionalism

Functionalism is the doctrine that what makes something a mental state of a genuine type depends on the way it functions, or the spot it plays and not on its internal structure. Simply put, functionalism features utmost importance to the function or role a mental state plays. They also ease up prime importance to causal relations because according to the follower of this doctrine any take a leak of mental state is determined by its causal relations to centripetal stimulations, other mental states and behaviors. (http//plato.stanford.edu/entries).Let me take paroxysm as an example. For the functionalist, pain is a mental state which arose because of a damage of some sympathetic or because something is wrong with the body. For them, the only beings that could possibly escort pain atomic number 18 those who qualified to meet the condition stated above. However, the functionalists did not claim that on that point be only limited states of affair on which pain outhouse be ex perienced. For them, various creatures whitethorn experience pain through disparate harmings of physical or mental states and thence the term duple realizations came into context.Having delimit what functionalism is, let me now move on to another(prenominal) important nerve of this paper-dualism. Dualism came from the Latin word dualis which means two. It is the belief that in everything in this humanity two important concept, which usually oppose each other exist. beneficial as at that place is a night then there must(prenominal) be a day. When there is good, there is evil. Such is the basis on which dualism is grounded. In the philosophy of head dualism aims to show the great difference there is amidst sagaciousness and depend. There be many differing points of view between the dualists themselves but they stood on the common ground that mind and matter are indeed distinct objects.According to the dualistic point of view where mind is made up of non-physical burden , our body is represent of physical sensations commonly cognize as matter. The mind and body dualism can be deduced as substance dualism which argues that mind and body are made-up of entirely distinct substances, and by property dualism which asserts that the mind and body may not be made-up of distinct substances but pacify, they are distinct and thence we cannot reduce one from the other.Now, how does functionalism differ from dualism? Functionalism is different from dualism because functionalism does not adhere to the idea of interactionism unlike that of dualism. roughly believer of substance dualism argues for the sake of interactionism or the belief that mind and body, though distinct from each other, are still capable of causally touch on each other.Believers of the personal identity theory believe that there are at least some kinds of mental states which are completely identical to those of consciousness states. One known proponent of this theory is David Armstrong who proposed that all mental states are identical with physical states. This theory argues that the mind is indistinguishable from the flair.Due to their admittance and beliefs regarding the mind they received numerous objections among which include the argument from multiple realizability. Believers of multiple realizability argues that mental events differ considerably from one organism to another and thus the idea that certain mental events are the same most of the timeis kind of preposterous. Thus functionalism and identity theory is very different from each other.Functionalism is considered to be more superior to other theories of mind such as dualism and the identity theory. Now, what brought about this superiority? Functionalism argues that everything is physical. The functionalists, unlike the other theories of the mind can do away without knowing how the brain came about its consciousness. The functionalists are satisfied to just now say that the function of our brain i s to be conscious or consciousness. They do not put great effort in disc everywhereing what causes the consciousness of our brain which made them superior from the other mind theory.Another advantage functionalism may have everywhere the other theories is its ability to equate conscious states with the functions of our brain, thus functionalism allows examination of our conscious states which plagues other theories. I said that it plagues other theories because they give too much privacy to matters of mind, believing that mind is a occult matter and thus cannot be compared to other minds (such as the problem in Cartesian dualism). Functionalism, on the other hand faces no such problems because they give way to analyzing other minds or other experiences.The ability to test things by trial and error offered by functionalism shows its edge against dualism and the identity theory of the mind. Another advantage functionalism has over dualism and the identity theory of the mind is that the theory of functionalism offers understanding of the mind.However, no matter how great functionalism may be as compared to other mind theories it still has its drawbacks. It does not entirely solve the problems of the mind. Functionalism does not give us a clear explanation of the obvious distinction of the physical and conscious states. besides, another objection arose from their claim that we can really differentiate one mind from the other. Surely, no one can fully understand how other minds work.Besides different people experiences things differently no matter how alike their experience may findm. For example, I may feel deep stamp upon losing a pet but then I cannot really say that the depression Anne felt when she lost her dog is the same as mine, now could I? Thus, no matter how more advantageous functionalism may be over dualism and the identity theory it is still not wise to go on believing functionalism as a whole. One must still see the pros and cons of certain tho ughts or theories.REFERENCESAssess functionalismDualism and MindIdentity Theory http//www.utm.eduFunctionalism http//plato.stanford.edu/entries