In This Selection Churchland Examines Functionalism and the Two Prominent

question 9

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.
-Nagel's argument suggests that mental states cannot be identical with brain states.

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Definitions:

Behavior Genetics

A field of study that examines the role of genetic and environmental influences on behavior.

Biology

An analysis of living beings and life forms, emphasizing their physical structure, operational functions, developmental processes, evolutionary backgrounds, and geographical spread.

Nature

The inherent qualities or characteristics of something, or the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, and landscapes.

Nurture

The influence of external factors like environment, education, and experience on the development and behavior of an individual.