Chalmers Argues for a Theory of Mind Known as "Property

question 4

True/False

Chalmers argues for a theory of mind known as "property dualism" (also "nonreductive materialism" and "naturalistic dualism"). In this view, mental states, or properties, are distinct from physical properties, and arise from the physical properties without being reducible to, or identical to, them (and without being some kind of Cartesian substance). Philosophers like to say that this relationship between the mental and physical is one of supervenience-that is, mental properties supervene on the physical ones. This means that something possesses a mental property in virtue of having a physical property. The mental property depends on the physical one, arises from it, but is not identical to it. If true, reductive materialism must be false. "This failure of materialism," says Chalmers, "leads to a kind of dualism: there are both physical and nonphysical features of the world." Mental properties are features of the world that are "over and above the physical features of the world."
-Searle thinks that something can think and understand solely by virtue of being a computer with the right sort of program.

---

Definitions:

Months of Age

A unit of time used to describe the age of a person, particularly infants and young children, in terms of months rather than years.

Contact Comfort

The psychological and physical comfort that an individual experiences from touching or being in close physical contact with others, especially significant in the context of infant-caregiver attachment.

Pleasure

The sensation of enjoyment or gratification brought about by engaging in or experiencing something desirable.

Touched and Held

A phrase indicating the emotional and physical benefits of human contact and connection.