In This Selection Churchland Examines Functionalism and the Two Prominent

question 11

True/False

In this selection Churchland examines functionalism and the two prominent versions of materialism in philosophy of mind. Reductivism claims that there is an identity of mental states with brain states. Functionalism rejects any one-to-one correlation between mental types and physical types and concentrates on the relationship between inputs and outputs. For example, the mental event of pain could be similar in two beings that have altogether different types of bodies and brains. Most functionalists are materialists, but someone could be a functionalist and be a nonmaterialist. Eliminative materialism is more radical than either of these other theories and seeks to eliminate "folk psychology"-talk of beliefs, feelings, and perceptions-in favor of more scientific descriptions of what is going on in the brain. Churchland concludes that the truth may be a combination of the two materialist theories, although the evidence points more in the direction of eliminativism.
-Smart says that sensations are independent of brain processes.

---

Definitions:

Wealth

A measure of the value of all the assets of worth owned by a person, community, company, or country.

Income

The monetary payment received for goods or services, or from other sources, as rents or investments.

Inequality

The existence of unequal opportunities and rewards for different social positions or statuses within a group or society.

Intergenerational Mobility

The changes in social status that occur from one generation to another within a family or community.