Analyzing Armstrongs Nature of Mind Essay - 737 Words

Analyzing Armstrong’s â€Å"The Nature of Mind† In David M. Armstrong’s â€Å"The Nature of Mind†, Armstrong praises the field of science and seeks to put the concept of mind into terms that agree with science’s definition of minds. His interest is in the physico-chemical, materialist view of man. Armstrong considers science to be the authority over other disciplines because of its reliability and result in consensus over disputed questions. Armstrong’s main argument is as follows: P1: Mental states are the inner causes of behavior P2: The inner causes of behavior are brain states C: Mental states are brain states. This argument, in the transitivity of conditionals form, is valid. In order to defend the soundness of it, Armstrong breaks†¦show more content†¦p1 in support of P1is coherent with behaviorist beliefs: p1: Mental states are dispositions to behave in certain ways p2: (breaking away from behaviorism) Dispositions are inner states which cause their defining effects c: Mental states are the inner causes of their effects p3: (again agreeing with behaviorism) Effects of mental states are behavior C: Mental states are the inner causes of behavior. Armstrong does a thorough job of supporting the soundness of his argument. He goes even further by offering an objection and a reply. The objection to Armstrong’s causal theory of mind is the same behaviorists were faced with. That is, it functions for the third-person case, but not the first-person case. The situation of the â€Å"automatic driver† is described. The driver is unaware of the fact that mental processes are going on, yet he continues to stay on the road. Armstrong answers this with the idea of consciousness as a higher order perception. He defines consciousness as â€Å"nothing but perception or awareness of the state of our own mind† and â€Å"a self scanning mechanism in the central nervous system†. The driver’s â€Å"inner eye† is shut and is unaware of what is going on inside his mind. This higher order scanning mechanism can be conceived as an inner sense, or an inner stat e directed towards other inner states. This allows us to make decisions and â€Å"behave selectively† towards our own states of mind.Show MoreRelatedRelationship Between The Mind And The Brain1934 Words   |  8 PagesWhen philosophically analyzing the relationship between the mind and the brain, one must take into consideration all sides of the argument. The mind-body problem exemplifies how mental states are related to physical states assuming that the mind is a non-physical entity while the human body is strictly physical. What is the relationship between the mind and the brain and how is this used to explain all human thoughts, behaviors, and actions? A physicalist, such as David Armstrong, would claim thatRead MoreThe Importance Of Performance Management And Appraisal Management Essay1748 Words   |  7 PagesValentine, 2013). According to the authors, Vance, C. and Paik, Y., â€Å"the performance of top managers often speaks louder than words in terms of what really matters in the organization and what gets rewarded, and over time may have an influence on the nature of organization-culture.† Consequently, the beliefs, abilities and the reliable support of upper management alongside the full liability of line management would be essential â€Å"for the effective adoption and implementation of global performance managementRead MoreUnderstanding Marketing Management16709 Words   |  67 Pagesor they buy and sell residential or commercial real estate. Investment companies and banks market securities to both institutional and individual investors. ORGANIZATIONS Organizations work to build a strong, favorable, and unique image in the minds of their target publics. In the United Kingdom, Tesco’s â€Å"Every Little Helps† marketing program reflects the food marketer’s attention to detail in everything it does, within the store and in the community and environment. The campaign has vaulted TescoRead MoreThe Censorship of Art Essay example14698 Words   |  59 Pagessex in the recording’s lyrics, b) the intention to lure hearers into sexual activity, and c) rap music’s emphasis on the lyrics. Therefore, the Nasty album is an appeal directed to the dirty thoughts and the loins, not to the intellect and the mind (1990:591). Second, again as a question of fact, the Judge decided that Nasty deals with sexual activities in graphic detail (like a zoom lens), that the album is replete with sexual lyrics, and that it is therefore patently offensive. FinallyRead MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accou nting211377 Words   |  846 PagesinXuences. Moreover, forces reXecting broader changes both in structures and processes in businesses, organizations, and society and in contemporary ideas and discourses may originate from within as well as from outside the organization and reshape the nature of management accounting. In the recent past, management accounting has not only seen changes within existing domains of the Weld but has also witnessed extensions outside its established realms of activity. Wider systemic transformations including