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Functionalism Mind as Machine George Matthews CC 2017

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What are minds?

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What are minds?

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What are minds? ! Minds depend on bodies.

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What are minds? ! Minds depend on bodies. Information gets to mind from physical senses.

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What are minds? ! Minds depend on bodies. Information gets to mind from physical senses. Damaged brains mean damaged minds.

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What are minds? ! Minds depend on bodies. Information gets to mind from physical senses. Damaged brains mean damaged minds. ! Minds are independent of bodies.

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What are minds? ! Minds depend on bodies. Information gets to mind from physical senses. Damaged brains mean damaged minds. ! Minds are independent of bodies. Different minds and brains can have the same thoughts.

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What are minds? ! Minds depend on bodies. Information gets to mind from physical senses. Damaged brains mean damaged minds. ! Minds are independent of bodies. Different minds and brains can have the same thoughts. Brains and behavior alone do not reveal the contents of minds.

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An Analogy

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An Analogy

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An Analogy ! Computer software depends on hardware.

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An Analogy ! Computer software depends on hardware. Information gets to software by means of physical circuits.

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An Analogy ! Computer software depends on hardware. Information gets to software by means of physical circuits. Damaged hardware means software doesn’t work.

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An Analogy ! Computer software depends on hardware. Information gets to software by means of physical circuits. Damaged hardware means software doesn’t work. ! Software is independent of hardware.

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An Analogy ! Computer software depends on hardware. Information gets to software by means of physical circuits. Damaged hardware means software doesn’t work. ! Software is independent of hardware. Different machines can run the same programs.

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An Analogy ! Computer software depends on hardware. Information gets to software by means of physical circuits. Damaged hardware means software doesn’t work. ! Software is independent of hardware. Different machines can run the same programs. Patterns of activity in circuits alone do not reveal the functions carried out by programs.

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Functionalism

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Functionalism

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Functionalism ! Minds are not things, but sets of capacities (behaviorism is partly right).

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Functionalism ! Minds are not things, but sets of capacities (behaviorism is partly right). ! Minds do not exist without some physical device to carry out mental functions (Mind/Brain Identity theory is partly right).

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Functionalism ! Minds are not things, but sets of capacities (behaviorism is partly right). ! Minds do not exist without some physical device to carry out mental functions (Mind/Brain Identity theory is partly right). ! Minds are not identical with either behavior or any physical thing (dualism is partly right).

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Functionalism ! Minds are not things, but sets of capacities (behaviorism is partly right). ! Minds do not exist without some physical device to carry out mental functions (Mind/Brain Identity theory is partly right). ! Minds are not identical with either behavior or any physical thing (dualism is partly right). ! Minds are sets of functions running in brains (all the other theories are partly wrong).

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Multiple Realizability

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Multiple Realizability

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Multiple Realizability ! A machine is defined by its function.

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Multiple Realizability ! A machine is defined by its function. ! The same function can be carried out by other machines.

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Multiple Realizability ! A machine is defined by its function. ! The same function can be carried out by other machines. ! If the mind is a set of functions, a machine besides the brain can be designed that implements the functions carried out by minds.

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Compare and Contrast a thermostat a person

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Compare and Contrast a thermostat ! Coil unwinds past a set point. a person

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Compare and Contrast a thermostat ! Coil unwinds past a set point. ! This triggers a switch that turns off furnace. a person

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Compare and Contrast a thermostat ! Coil unwinds past a set point. ! This triggers a switch that turns off furnace. ! Coil winds tighter past a set point. a person

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Compare and Contrast a thermostat ! Coil unwinds past a set point. ! This triggers a switch that turns off furnace. ! Coil winds tighter past a set point. ! This triggers a switch that turns on furnace. a person

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Compare and Contrast a thermostat ! Coil unwinds past a set point. ! This triggers a switch that turns off furnace. ! Coil winds tighter past a set point. ! This triggers a switch that turns on furnace. a person ! Turing notices the room is too hot.

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Compare and Contrast a thermostat ! Coil unwinds past a set point. ! This triggers a switch that turns off furnace. ! Coil winds tighter past a set point. ! This triggers a switch that turns on furnace. a person ! Turing notices the room is too hot. ! He turns off the furnace.

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Compare and Contrast a thermostat ! Coil unwinds past a set point. ! This triggers a switch that turns off furnace. ! Coil winds tighter past a set point. ! This triggers a switch that turns on furnace. a person ! Turing notices the room is too hot. ! He turns off the furnace. ! Turing notices the room is cold.

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Compare and Contrast a thermostat ! Coil unwinds past a set point. ! This triggers a switch that turns off furnace. ! Coil winds tighter past a set point. ! This triggers a switch that turns on furnace. a person ! Turing notices the room is too hot. ! He turns off the furnace. ! Turing notices the room is cold. ! He turns on the furnace.

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Finite State Machines

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Finite State Machines

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Finite State Machines ! A set of possible inputs.

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Finite State Machines ! A set of possible inputs. ! A set of internal states.

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Finite State Machines ! A set of possible inputs. ! A set of internal states. ! A set of possible outputs.

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Finite State Machines ! A set of possible inputs. ! A set of internal states. ! A set of possible outputs. ! A set of rules that relate inputs, internal states and outputs.

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Finite State Machines ! A set of possible inputs. ! A set of internal states. ! A set of possible outputs. ! A set of rules that relate inputs, internal states and outputs. Are minds nothing but very complex finite state machines?

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Mind as Machine

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Mind as Machine

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Mind as Machine ! inputs: millions of sensory receptors

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Mind as Machine ! inputs: millions of sensory receptors ! internal states: memories, brain states, chemical and hormonal states

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Mind as Machine ! inputs: millions of sensory receptors ! internal states: memories, brain states, chemical and hormonal states ! rules: instincts, reflexes, habits, thoughts, plans, ideas, emotions, learned routines

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Mind as Machine ! inputs: millions of sensory receptors ! internal states: memories, brain states, chemical and hormonal states ! rules: instincts, reflexes, habits, thoughts, plans, ideas, emotions, learned routines ! outputs: new internal states, motor outputs, spoken and written language