Functionalism Philosophy of Mind

Functionalism is a philosophy of mind that proposes that mental states are defined in terms of their functional roles. In other words, what matters is not the substance that a mental state is made of, but rather its causal relations to other mental states, sensory inputs, and behavioral outputs. According to functionalism, mental states can be realized by different physical substrates, such as neurons, silicon chips, or even alien life forms, as long as they perform the same functional roles. This view is often called multiple realizability, and it is meant to explain how mental states can be both subjective and objective, both individual and universal, both biological and artificial.

Multiple Realizability

For example, pain is not identical to any particular neural firing pattern, but rather to the way that pattern is related to other bodily sensations, memories, beliefs, and actions. Pain is what causes us to avoid harmful stimuli, to seek relief, to communicate with others, and to empathize with their pain. Thus, pain is not a private sensation that can only be known by introspection, but rather a public phenomenon that can be observed and predicted by others based on its functional profile.

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