The theory of mind is critical for daily human social interactions, especially going by the need to use it to analyze, judge, as well as infer the behaviours of others. It revolves around the ability of an individual to attribute mental states such as desires, beliefs, emotions, among others to oneself, as well as to others while understanding that others also have the mental states that differ from one’s own. The theories of mind exist in two main types, including those that explain the mind as fully explained in a physical, objective, as well as scientific terms, and those that say that the mind is not fully explained in all these perspectives. It can thus, be deduced that the there is two main representation of the theory of mind, including cognitive, which involves the beliefs, mental states, and thoughts of others, as well as the effective, which concerns the emotions of others (Baggini 263). In this context, the review will defend functionalism as the strongest of these theories. In addition, the review in this context will give a detailed account of the Twin Earth thought the experiment that is used as the main cause of one of the main arguments against the theory. The better theory of mind is functionalism because it is able to ultimately achieve the ability to account for understanding in human psychology.

            The theory of functionalism is able to develop an understanding of the mental states through a series of capabilities that are not present in other theories. According to this theory, mental states are defined by what they do as opposed to the proposal of other theories that they are identified by what they are formed of. As such, it develops as an alternative to such theories as behaviorism and the identity theory of mind. Most specifically, the original motivation towards the use of this theory to understand mental states was the viable comparative analysis of minds to the working mechanisms of computers. From another point of view, the functionalism theory of mind retains the traditional and logical ideology that mental states are unique and internal to all thinking beings, which are aspects that the behaviorism theory of mind ignores (Baggini 192). In addition, the functionalism theory upholds the idea that mental states can be realized in a multiple manner, which is also different from the argument by the identity theory. Furthermore, functionalism gives an analogy to explain its foundation. The theory argues that mental states of a thinking creature are closely similar to mouse traps than they are to diamonds. A matter state is made of what something does, as opposed to its make. Such depicts the difference between the functionalism theory and the mind-body relationship that many theories uphold.

            The Twin Earth thought experiment is one of the main experiments that have challenged the ideologies of the functionalism theory of mind. It proposes that if the Earth had a Twin Earth that is identical in every way, except that the water is different in terms of the chemical structure, humans on both planets will have functional duplicates. However, they have different mental states because of the differences in their experience with the water on their respective locations, especially in terms of their mental states. It depicts that people can be functionally identical so long as they are equally sharing similar inputs, outputs, as well as relations. As such, since two humans can be functionally identical, but be in differing mental states, the theory of functionalism does not have the sufficient capability to account for all of the wide variety of mental states that a creature or a human can have as provided by the Twin Earth experiment. From this point of view, the Twin Earth experiment affects the functionalism theory used in this context by weakening its proposal and discrediting it.

            On the contrary, the experiment offers a way around its opposition against functionalism. The experiment’s main argument against functionalism is that two humans can be functionally identical, although with different mental states. However, the argument’s assumptions can support the functionalism theory. The assumption of the experiment is that a human’s experience with water that is changed in terms of its chemical structure could lead to a different mental state as opposed to what they would experience when the get into contact with normal water. In reality, it is not possible for someone to notice that the chemical structure of the water has changed, especially if it is still in its normal physical form. From this point of view, the assumption is directly supportive of the functionalism theory, which would state that the different water on the twin planets would not lead to differing mental states because the functional relationships of the water will not change.

            The functionalism theory of mind reveals that the self is made up of the functional roles of the mental states. The functional roles involve the causal relations with other types of mental states. It is reasonable to think that the self can be determined with the mind as it relates directly with the unique mental states of an individual. The things an individual takes to be the concept of their identity act as the features of their minds.     

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This is the other assignment  which is related to the above assignment

Paper Revision Instructions

1.  Paper revision: Your papers on mind and identity are graded and should be available to view on Blackboard.  Your next paper is to revise and expand this paper, and here are the instructions:

A. Revise according to my comments.  I make overall comments as well as specific comments on your paper itself.  Let me know if you have questions about these.

B. Expand: your original paper connected your favored theory of mind with the question of personal identity.  TO expand your paper, add a paragraph that addresses ONE of the following: 

     i.    Explain which theory of identity (body, psychological continuity, etc.)  fits your theory of mind best. Identify one challenge and one benefit of this theory of identity.  Do you think this theory captures what you believe is most important about identity?

ii.  For many, race and/or gender are important aspects of their identity.  Drawing from one of our readings (handout on gender and race, Tuvel’s essay, or our readings on feminist philosophy), explain how there are different ways of thinking about race or gender (pick one), and how this fits, or doesn’t fit into your chosen theory of mind.  Finally, say what you think is most important about race or gender as a feature of identity. 

After revising, your expanded portion shouldn’t add more than 250 words to the paper.  Be sure to go back and revise your thesis to indicate what you are adding.

The professor comment for Mind and Identity

Review Submission History: Mind & Identity Paper – …

Mind and identity

The theory of mind is critical for daily human social interactions, especially going by the

need to use it to analyze, judge, as well as infer the behaviors of others. It revolves around the

ability of an individual to attribute mental states such as desires , beliefs, emotions, among others

to oneself, as well as to others, while understanding that others also have the mental states that

differ from one’s own. The theories of mind exist in two main types, including those that explain

the mind as fully explained in physical, objective, as well as scientific terms, and those that say

that the mind is not fully explained in all these perspectives.

It can thus, be deduced that the there

are two main representation of the theory of mind, including cognitive, which involves the

beliefs, mental states, and thoughts of others, as well as the affective, which concerns the

emotions of others

(Baggini 263)

.

In this context, the review

will defend functionalism as the

strongest of these theories. In addition, the review

in this context w

ill give a detailed account of

the Twin Earth thought experiment that is used as the main cause of one of the main arguments

against the theory

. The better theory of mind is functionalism because it is able to ultimately

achieve

the ability to account for understanding in human psychology.

The

theory of functionalism is able to develop an understanding of the mental states

through a series of capabilities that are not present in other theories. According to this theory,

mental states are

defined by what they do as opposed to the proposal of other theories that they

are identified by what they are formed of. As such, it develops as an alternative to such theories

as behaviorism and the identity theory of mind. Most specifically, the original motivation

towards the use of this theory to understand mental states was the viable comparative analysis of

minds to the working mechanisms of computers. From another point of view, the functionalism

theory of mind retains the traditional and logical ideology that mental states are unique and

internal to all thinking beings, which are aspects that the behaviorism theory of mind ignores

(Baggini 192)

.

In addition, the functionalism theory upholds the idea that mental states can be

realized in a

multiple manner, which is also different from the argument by the identity theory.

Furthermore, functionalism gives an analogy to explain its foundation. The theory argues that

mental states of a thinking creature are closely similar to mouse traps than t

hey are to diamonds.

A matter state is made of what something does, as opposed to its make. Such depicts the

difference between the functionalism theory and the mind

–

body relationship that many theories

uphold.

The Twin Earth thought experiment is one of

the main experiments that have challenged

the ideologies of the functionalism theory of mind.

It proposes that if the Earth had a Twin Earth

that is identical in every way, except that the water is different in terms of the chemical structure,

humans on both planets will have functional duplicates. However, they have different mental

states because of the differences in their experience with the water on their respective locations,

especially in terms of their mental states. It depicts that people can be functionally identical so

long as they are equally sharing similar inputs, outputs, as well as relations. As such, since two

humans can be functionally identical, but be in differing mental states, the theory of

functionalism does not have the sufficient capability to account for all of the wide variety of

mental states that a creature or a human can have

as provided by the Twin Earth experiment

.

From this point of view, the Twin Earth experiment affects the functionalism theory used in this

context by weakening its proposal and discrediting it.