the mind-body problem and the puzzle of consciousness minds and machines

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The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

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Obvious Answer: The Brain! The brain is part of the body, and the brain is responsible for the mind … OK, but what do you mean by ‘responsible’? What exactly is the mind-brain connection?!

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Page 1: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness

Minds and Machines

Page 2: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

What is the Mind-Body Connection?

• Our body and mind seem to be intimately connected:– When I hit your foot with hammer, you will

feel pain.– When you decide to raise your hand, you do

it• But what exactly is this connection

between our body and mind? Why is there such a connection? How does it work?

Page 3: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Obvious Answer: The Brain!

• The brain is part of the body, and the brain is responsible for the mind

• … OK, but what do you mean by ‘responsible’?

• What exactly is the mind-brain connection?!

Page 4: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Descartes’ Argument

– I am certain that my mind exists

– I am not certain that my body exists • (or any part thereof (incl. brain), or anything else physical)

– Therefore, my mind is not the same as my body • (or any part thereof (incl. brain) , or anything else physical)

Page 5: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Idealism

• Idealism: the mind is all that exists– the ‘physical world’ we perceive to be

around us is just a construction of our mind.

• Solipsism: only my own mind exists!

Page 6: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Dualism

• Both Mind and Body exist, but they are completely distinct!– Body is physical– Mind is non-physical

Page 7: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Cartesian (Interactive) Dualism

• Mind and Body exist, but are distinct• Mind and Body causally interact

(through the brain)

Page 8: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

But What About the Brain?

• The brain seems to be more than a ‘mere’ communication device.

• In fact, it seems to regulate a lot of behavior, simply by it being ‘wired up’ the way that it is, connecting sensory input with motor output.

• So what is this ‘extra’ mind for?!

Page 9: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Descartes: ‘Automatons’ vs ‘Deliberators’

• Descartes responded that it is true that the brain by itself can account for a lot of behavior.

• However, he suggested that there was a fundamental difference between humans and animals:– Animals are mere ‘automatons’: their brain allows them to

behave in ways advantageous to them, but since they do not have a mind, they can never get away from their purely ‘mechanical’ behavior.

– Humans, on the other hand, do have a mind. So they can perform deliberative reasoning and decision-making, be creative and do new things.

Page 10: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Intuitive Argument for Dualism

• Also, there is an even more straightforward argument for Dualism:

• Physical stuff is ‘tangible’:– It takes up space– It has mass– It can be touched, kicked, painted, observed, etc.

• Our mind is not like that at all!

Page 11: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Classical Dualism

• Oldest form of dualism• Mind and body exist but are distinct

– Mind can survive bodily death• The mind controls the body

– Without the mind, the body would do nothing– Animism

Page 12: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Materialism

• The mind is part of a purely physical universe.– No ‘non-physical mind-stuff’– ‘Mind’ is an abstraction … describing our cognitive

capabilities such a perception, reasoning, decision-making … which we have due to our brain!

– ‘mind is what brain does’– No brain -> no mind! No ghosts, no souls, no

spirits.

Page 13: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Materialism vs Dualism:Science vs Religion?

• Materialists and Dualists have been fighting hard.

• During this fight, I often hear the following argument:– “Dualism is old and unscientific. In fact, most dualists are religious

people who still believe in souls and spirits. Materialism is modern and scientific, and is free from any religious thinking. Therefore, dualism is false and materialism is true.”

• Please don’t do this!! You’re not making any arguments that delve into the issue, but instead you are making cheap ad hominems and circumstantial reasoning. Do not frame this debate as a “religion vs science” fight!

Page 14: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

The Puzzle of Consciousness… in Pictures!

Page 15: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Our Eyes as a Window to the World

Page 16: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

What is Really out there?

?

I see a tree

Page 17: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

What do You See?

?

I see a tree

Page 18: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Invertoids

?

I see a tree

Page 19: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Who Is the Invertoid? …

?

I see a tree

Page 20: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Weirdoids

I see a tree

Page 21: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Science:‘Publicly Observable’

1 tree31,437 leavesE = mc2

etc.

!

Page 22: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Zombies

?

I see a tree

Page 23: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

The Zombie Paradox

I have a conscious experience of seeing a tree

Page 24: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

BlindsightI don’t have any conscious experience, but I think there is a tree

Blindsight Video

Page 25: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Materialist Theories of Consciousness

• Consciousness is:– quantum collapses in microtubules internal to neurons (Penrose,

Hameroff)– thalamically modulated patterns of cortical activation (Llinas)– left hemisphere based interpretative processes (Gazzaniga)– emotive somatosensory hemostatic processes based in the frontal-

limbic nexus (Damasio) – synchronous neural oscillations at 40-70Hz in the claustrum (Crick,

Koch)– spatiotemporal patterns in electro-magnetic field produced by the

brain (McFadden, Pockett)– global workspace of cognitive activity (Baars)– integrated information (Tononi)

Page 26: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

“Consciousness is a fascinating but elusive phenomenon; it is impossible to specify what it is, what it does, or why it evolved. Nothing worth reading has been written on it.”

– Stuart Sutherland, International Dictionary of Psychology

Page 27: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Epiphenomenalism

• The puzzle of consciousness lead to another form of Dualism: Epiphenomenalism

• Epiphenomenalists state that the mind is the result of (i.e. caused by) physical processes, but that it is causally inert itself.

• Our conscious thoughts, experiences, and feelings are like the ‘sparks’ produced by a running ‘machine’ (the brain): they are produced by the machine, but have no effect on the functioning of the machine.

Page 28: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Non-Interactionist Dualism

• How can something non-physical interact with something physical?!?

• E.g On Descartes’ view, how does the brain communicate with the mind?

• Thus, some Dualists not only proposed that the mind and body are completely distinct, but that they don’t even interact!

Page 29: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Positions on the Mind-Body Problem

Monism Dualism

Materialism IdealismNon-InteractionistDualism

InteractionistDualism

ClassicalDualism

CartesianDualism

Epiphenomenalism

: causal relationship

Page 30: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Quiz Question 1

• “Without a mind, physical entities wouldn’t do anything by themselves. A mind is like a ‘captain of the ship’ or ‘ghost in the machine’ that controls the behavior of the physical entity it inhabits.”. This is a description of:

• A. Classical Dualism• B. Cartesian Dualism• C. Non-Interactive Dualism• D. Epiphenomenalism

Page 31: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Quiz Question 2

• “The proponents of dualism are probably the same people who deny evolution, and everything else science. Therefore, dualism is false.”

• Is this a good argument?• A. Yes• B. No

Page 32: The Mind-Body Problem and the Puzzle of Consciousness Minds and Machines

Quiz Question 3• The Zombie Argument is:• “According to Materialism, consciousness has a purely physical

basis. This means that it is impossible to have that physical basis without being conscious. However, we can conceive of zombies, which are beings that are physically identical to us, but that aren’t conscious. Therefore, Materialism must be false.”

• “The Problem of Other Minds states that you don’t know if someone other than yourself is conscious. However, if we wouldn’t be conscious, then we would be like zombies. Since we can see that no one behaves like a zombie, we know that other people in fact are conscious. So there is no Problem of Other Minds.”