Mind-Body Problem

Learning Objectives

Humans who engage in self-reflection always asked questions about the soul or the mind. Already ancient Greek philosophers tried to explore the these fundamental questions, which is basically a psychological question.

The mind-body problem is a philosophical debate concerning how the mind and body are connected. It’s a key issue in philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience. Are the mind and body separate entities? Or is there only a body or only a mind? Philosophy has been tackling these questions for centuries. While you may not aspire to be a philosopher, psychologists should be aware of the philosophy of the mind and the fundamental concepts proposed in this context.

Prepare Lecture

Read Westphal (2016) Chapter 1 to prepare for the lecture.

Required Reading
  • Westphal (2016)
    • Chapter 1, 2 and 3 (partially): pages 1-71
    • Chapter 3 and 4: pages 77-90
    • Chapter 6: pages 159-163

Tutorial Meeting

Timetable
Duration Activity
15 min. Practice quiz on Canvas
15 min. Framing the Mind-Body Problem: “Inconsistent Tetrad”.
40 min. Main activity 1: Comparative matrix
20 min. Post-discussion
15 min. Break
45 min. Main activity 2: Stations” with Thought Experiments & Analogies
15 min. Plenary discussion
10 min. One-Minute Paper

Station 1: Waking Without a Body

  • Reading Reference: Ch 2, p. 28   
  • Description: Imagine waking up fully conscious but finding your physical body has completely vanished.

Questions

  1. According to the text, what conclusion about the mind and body does this thought experiment suggest is possible?   
  2. Which major theory does this scenario primarily support, and why?
  3. What makes this scenario conceivable or possible in a logical sense, according to the author’s explanation?   

Station 2: Parallel Clocks Analogy

  • Reading Reference: Ch 2, p. 38   
  • Description: Consider two clocks perfectly synchronized to strike at the same time.

Questions

  1. Which theory of the mind-body relationship does this analogy illustrate?
  2. What specific aspect of that theory (regarding interaction) is the analogy meant to clarify or make plausible?
  3. What potential issue does the text suggest arises if you mistakenly think one clock striking causes the other to strike?  

Station 3: Shadow / Steam Whistle Analogies

  • Reading Reference: Ch 2, pp. 45, 47 1   
  • Description: The mind/consciousness is compared to a shadow cast by hands or a steam-whistle on a locomotive.

Questions

  1. Which theory do these analogies relate to (Epiphenomenalism)?
  2. What specific claim about the causal role of the mind/consciousness are these analogies trying to convey?   
  3. The text points out a potential flaw in the steam-whistle analogy. What is it, and why does it weaken the analogy’s support for the theory?  

Station 4: Eliminativism & ‘Witches’ Comparison

  • Reading Reference: Ch 3, pp. 77-78   
  • Description: The text compares common-sense mental concepts (beliefs, desires) to belief in witches.

Questions

  1. What is the main point the author (discussing Eliminativism) is trying to make with this comparison?
  2. What status does Eliminativism assign to ‘folk psychology’ concepts based on this analogy?
  3. Do you think this comparison is effective in conveying the Eliminativist position? Why or why not?

Station 5: Double Aspect ‘Book Classification’ Analogy

  • Reading Reference: Ch 6, p. 160   
  • Description: A single object (a book) can be described or categorized in different ways (e.g., as a ‘$25 item’ or as ‘a work on astronomy’) without these descriptions referring to different interacting objects.   

Questions

  1. Which theory does this analogy illustrate (Double Aspect Theory)?
  2. How does this analogy try to explain the relationship between mind and body without involving interaction between two separate things?
  3. What might be a limitation or unanswered question about the mind-body link even with this analogy?

Study Checklist

  • Basic philosophical concepts
    • Ontology & epistemology
    • Rationalism versus empiricism
    • Reductionism
    • Appearance versus reality
  • The mind–body problem
    • Descartes’ interactionism
    • Substance dualism
    • Property dualism
    • Parallelism
    • Interactionalism
    • Epiphenomenalism
    • Emergentism
    • Occasionalism
    • Double Aspect Theory
    • Psychophysical parallelism
    • Physicalism
    • token identity theory
    • Eliminative materialism
    • Leibniz: pre-established harmony (lecture)
    • Idealism / Phenomenalism
    • Identity Theory
    • Qualia (lecture)
    • Category mistake (lecture)