Summary Behaviourism (philosophy alevel a*)

BEHAVIOURISM -PHYSICALISM
“Everything is physical or supervenes
upon the physical (including properties,
events, objects and any substances that
exist.”

, Notes:




Physicalism = everything exists, including mind & mental states
‘ Is either a physical thing or supervenes on physical things;
- Two things that are physically identical = mentally identical

Physicalism agrees mind is a physical thing/ supervenes on the physical
- Disagree about what kind of physical thing mental states are
- Behaviourism, type identify, functionalism, eliminative materialism

Behaviourism = claim that the mind is not a thing at all, minds are behaviours
Analytic reduction = reduces mind to talk of behaviour e.g pain = shouting
- NOT ONTOLOGICAL REDUCTION
 As not saying pain is this but simply that pain means this

Behaviourism claims that when we discuss mind & mental states we are really talking about
behaviour, what people do and how they react

- Mental state of pain = to display the behavioural dispositions associated with
being in pain


Hard behaviourism:
- Hempel = logical positivist, STRONG VERIFICATION PRINCIPLE
- All propositions about mental states can be reduced without loss of meaning to
propositions that use the language of physicals to talk about body
states/movements
 Not able to verify private mental experiences = must look at public
displays