The Mind/BrainIdentity Theory

By: Aman, Cherisseand Gummy

What is the mind/brain identity theory?

Definition: The theory that mental states are really physical brain states

It is a contemporary materialist view Materialists believe that reality is ultimately composed of matter The main idea behind the theory is that feelings, desires, thoughts

etc. are not intangible but they are physical manifestations of the brain

Materialists believe that science will soon discover that mental states and brain states are the same thing like water and H2O

Criticisms It is said that trying to identify conscious experiences with brain

states will lead to problems Brain states are publicly observable but conscious experiences are

not A brain surgeon can see different brain states but nobody can

literally see a conscious experience Thinking has no colour, location or shape This could lead one to believe that brain states and a mental

state/consciousness are different things with different qualities Isn’t the essence of consciousness immaterial?

Supporting Philosophers J.J.C. Smart supports the mind/brain identity theory He supports the idea of animal evolution and says that a nonphysical

property could not just come from a chemical process (evolution) He believes that science will discover that brain and mental states are

identical He also says that the relation between brain and mental states are

contingent not necessary otherwise it would take the reduce the meaning of the words.

Criticizing Philosophers Norman Malcolm is against the theory He believes that if mental and brain states are the same then they

would have all of the same properties and this is not the case It is not necessary to assign spatial locations to mental states like

thinking but brain states have a location Thoughts require background circumstances like practice, habits,

assumptions etc. but brain states do not Also, there is no law of physics necessary or applicable for a thought

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