Functionalism

Functionalism is a theory of contemporary philosophy of the mind, designed to provide a solution to behaviourism and identity theory, but more importantly a solution to the mind/body problem. In this essay I will discuss the theory of functionalism, and what solution it offers in resolving the mind/body problem. The mind/body problem examines the relationship between the mind and physical matter, more specifically the relationship between consciousness and the brain that other theories of the mind have failed to account for. Solutions to the mind body problem attempt to explain one’s subjective experience of an objective physical world.

Functionalist theory holds that the condition for being in a mental state should be given by the functional role of that state, this is, in terms of the standard causal relationships, rather than by supposed intrinsic functions of that state (Honderich, 1995). The role is normally visualised as being specified in terms of which mental states typically produce it and which other states and behavioural outputs will typically be produced by it when the state interacts with further mental states and perceptual inputs (Honderich, 1995). For example; Different pains we experience are normally caused by some sort of sustained bodily damage, and tend to result in avoidance behaviour (Routlege, 2000).

The theory forged by David Armstrong and Hilary Putnam, improves on behaviourism as it identifies that behaviour results from mental states, it allows that the term for the state, for example ‘S’s pain’, to refer to a real condition that has a functional role (Honderich, 1995). The first formulation of a functionalist theory of the mind was proposed by Putnam, it was inspired by thought of the mind in rel...

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...ates, means the mind is multiply realisable in not only biological living organisms as discussed earlier, but within non biological-systems such as computers as argued by Putnam. That a silicon-based machine, such as my apple computer, could experience some sort of mental life similar to what I experience on a daily basis. This is assuming it has some sort of functional cognitive system in order that acts out real causal/functional roles. This is not to say that humans are machines that operate in response to what we are programmed to do, but rather that the mind shares a relationship with its material embodiments as does a computer with the software is runs. This is the fundamental part of functionalism’s solution to the mind body problem, in it’s ability to logically make sense of both the causal and the relational nature of the mind avoiding the mind body problem