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Second year philosophy notes. Philosophy 214
Philosophy (Universiteit Stellenbosch)
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Why philosophy of the mind?
- We intuitively assume that some entities have minds and others
have not.
- We know what it means for something to be living and have a
mind or what doesn’t have a mind.
- We know a brick doesn’t have a mind but a dog does.
- A cat has a mind and a pebble does not
- Affects our attitude towards those entities
- We can as humans can make distinctions between things with
minds and things that doesn’t have a mind but we can also
make a distinction between other things that have minds and
that we have special highly developed minds (better capacity
for consciousness than dogs)
- Therefore also assume that humans have particularly highly-
developed minds.
- Types of capacities: Abstract thoughts ,self consciousness
,artistic ,sensibilities , rational deliberation.
- We assume more complex animals are capable of complex
social emotions such as shame or embarrassment but are they
capable of forming intentions, logical reasoning, decision
making?
- We are aware that there is a hierarchy and that a earth worms
life isn’t the same as our domestic dogs or cats.These creatures
do have sensation and they can adjust and modify their
behaviour accordingly to the environment or circumstance.
- Oyster ,crabs have the same sensations as dog and cats but do
they have minds in the same way we have minds or in the same
way that we think our dogs and cats have minds?
- WHAT IS TO HAVE A MIND (PROPERTIES AND
CHARACTERISTICS)
- Lets say oyster and crabs experience those sensation that we
associate with consciousness … but do they have a mind ?
- What does it mean to have a mind?
- AI? Do they have minds? Moral to switch off a robot ?
Downloaded by Kayirisna Willemse ()
Second year philosophy notes. Philosophy 214
Philosophy (Universiteit Stellenbosch)
StuDocu is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university
Downloaded by Kayirisna Willemse ()
, lOMoARcPSD|10320953
Why philosophy of the mind?
- We intuitively assume that some entities have minds and others
have not.
- We know what it means for something to be living and have a
mind or what doesn’t have a mind.
- We know a brick doesn’t have a mind but a dog does.
- A cat has a mind and a pebble does not
- Affects our attitude towards those entities
- We can as humans can make distinctions between things with
minds and things that doesn’t have a mind but we can also
make a distinction between other things that have minds and
that we have special highly developed minds (better capacity
for consciousness than dogs)
- Therefore also assume that humans have particularly highly-
developed minds.
- Types of capacities: Abstract thoughts ,self consciousness
,artistic ,sensibilities , rational deliberation.
- We assume more complex animals are capable of complex
social emotions such as shame or embarrassment but are they
capable of forming intentions, logical reasoning, decision
making?
- We are aware that there is a hierarchy and that a earth worms
life isn’t the same as our domestic dogs or cats.These creatures
do have sensation and they can adjust and modify their
behaviour accordingly to the environment or circumstance.
- Oyster ,crabs have the same sensations as dog and cats but do
they have minds in the same way we have minds or in the same
way that we think our dogs and cats have minds?
- WHAT IS TO HAVE A MIND (PROPERTIES AND
CHARACTERISTICS)
- Lets say oyster and crabs experience those sensation that we
associate with consciousness … but do they have a mind ?
- What does it mean to have a mind?
- AI? Do they have minds? Moral to switch off a robot ?
Downloaded by Kayirisna Willemse ()
