PHIl Discussions
Discussion 4
Remember the argument from conceivability that Kagen reconstructs in Chap.4 of Death. In PowerPoint #7 we found reasons to be suspicious of premises (1) and (2). We then turned to premise (3) and asked if it is true.
A3
(1) I can conceive or imagine that my mind exists without my body existing. (premise)
(2) If I can imagine that my mind exists without my body existing, then it is logically possible that my mind exists without my body existing. (premise)
(3) If it is logically possible for my mind to exist without my body existing, then my mind and body must, in fact, be distinct items. (premise)
(4) My mind and body are, in fact, distinct items. (conclusion from (1) – (3)).
Premise (3) ultimately derives from a more general assumption called “GA.”
GA: If it is logically possible for an item O1 to exist without item O2 existing, then O1 cannot equal O2.
For your discussion assignment, please do the following:
1. Relying on lecture notes and your own reflections and perhaps some of Kagen’s suggestions in Chap. 4 of his book Death, try as best you can to justify the reasoning behind this general principle GA.
2. Then, say whether or not you take this justification to be adequate. That is, do you take GA to be reasonable to accept on the basis of this reasoning? Why or why not?
3. Then say whether or not (1), (2), and (3), even if all true, would put you in a position to assert the truth of (4).
To this end, it might be easier for you to think about premise (3) of another argument with exactly the same logical structure as (A3), i.e.,
A4
(1) I can imagine a world where Samuel Clemens existed, but Mark Twain didn’t. (premise)
(2) If something can be imagined, then it is logically possible. (premise)
(3) If it is logically possible for one thing to exist without another, then even in the actual world those two things must indeed be different things. (premise)
(4) Mark Twain and Samuel Clemens must be different things (even in the actual world). (conclusion from 1-3)
Suppose that the situation in which this case arises is very much like the one in which Kagen’s “evening star/morning star” example arises: I am contemplating the argument in a state of ignorance regarding the complete properties of Samuel Clemens. Suppose that all I know about Samuel Clemens is that he grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, apprenticed with a printer, worked as a typesetter and eventually became a master riverboat pilot on the Mississippi. On the other hand, suppose that all that I know about Mark Twain is that he was the author of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.
This is a tough assignment, so I want to you think about it and speculate about it, but not to fret over it. We are doing this for purposes of discussion, not testing. d
Discussion 5
Consider the following thought experiment
To begin the thought experiment, imagine that you are the subject of some mental event–perhaps you are experiencing an intense pain.
Now imagine that one of your neurons is replaced by a silicon chip prosthesis that has the exact same input/output profile as the neuron it replaces.
Now imagine that, one by one, the rest of your neurons are swapped for silicon prostheses. Thus, at the end of the procedure the organ in your head, which was previously made of lipid and protein neurons, is now entirely composed of silicon neuronoids.
Now, consider three possible outcome of this procedure.
I. Your consciousness shrinks to nothing, but your behavior remains completely unchanged.
II. Your consciousness remains completely unaffected, but you lose the ability to engage in any behavior at all.
III. Both your consciousness and behavior remain completely unaffected.
Now, consider each of the tree preceding possible outcomes in turn and answer the following questions:
Q1: What, if anything, would this outcome tell you about the truth (in turn) of
1) behaviorism
2) identity theory
3) functionalism
Q2: Now ask yourself the following question. Would you ever allow such a procedure to be performed on you (suppose that a silicone brain would be more resistant to degradation over time than your organic brain)? Why or why not?
Discussion 6
Go to the philosophical thought experiment “You’re Being Tortured in the Morning” at http://www.philosophy experiments.com/bodyswap/Default.aspx and follow the menu directions.
The setup for the thought experiment is a little convoluted, so make sure you understand the parameters before diving in.
The exercise poses a series of four questions concerning one scenario and one question relating to a second scenario, where both scenarios are designed to gauge your intuitions concerning the role that thoughts and memories play in preserving personal identity across time.
When you have done the exercise, answer the following:
1. How did you answer each question posed in the exercise?
2. Did the automatic feedback responses built into the exercise accurately characterize the consistency or inconsistency of the intuitions you expressed in answering these questions?
3. Did the exercise affect your views about memory’s role in preserving personal identity over time? If so, how?
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