Eliminative materialism

Definition

Eliminative materialism is the philosophical position that argues that common-sense mental states, such as beliefs and desires, do not exist and should be eliminated from our understanding of the mind. Instead, it suggests that everything about human cognition can be explained by neuroscience and physical processes. This view challenges traditional notions of dualism by rejecting the existence of a separate mental realm.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Eliminative materialism emerged from a critique of folk psychology, which is the everyday understanding of mental states and processes that many people hold.
2. Philosophers like Paul and Patricia Churchland are key proponents of eliminative materialism, arguing that as neuroscience progresses, we will no longer need to refer to mental states.
3. This viewpoint suggests that concepts like 'belief' and 'desire' are outdated and will eventually be replaced by more accurate scientific descriptions of brain activity.
4. Eliminative materialism raises significant questions about personal identity and moral responsibility, as it challenges our intuitions about decision-making and agency.
5. Critics argue that eliminative materialism fails to account for our subjective experiences and the apparent reality of mental states in everyday life.

Review Questions

• How does eliminative materialism challenge traditional views of mental states, particularly in relation to dualism?
  • Eliminative materialism challenges traditional views of mental states by completely denying the existence of beliefs and desires as separate entities. Unlike dualism, which posits a distinct separation between the mind and body, eliminative materialists argue that all cognitive processes can be fully explained by physical processes in the brain. This fundamentally changes our understanding of mental phenomena and raises questions about how we perceive our own thoughts and emotions.
• Discuss the implications of eliminative materialism on personal identity and moral responsibility.
  • Eliminative materialism has significant implications for personal identity and moral responsibility because it questions the foundations upon which we build our understanding of self. If beliefs and desires are eliminated from our cognitive framework, it complicates our conception of agency, as traditional ideas about decision-making rely heavily on these mental states. This leads to challenging discussions about accountability for actions if those actions cannot be traced back to stable, identifiable mental processes.
• Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of eliminative materialism in the context of contemporary debates in philosophy of mind.
  • Eliminative materialism offers a radical approach to understanding consciousness by insisting that scientific progress will render folk psychological concepts obsolete. Its strength lies in its commitment to a scientific view of mind that avoids speculative metaphysics. However, it faces criticism for neglecting subjective experiences and the richness of human consciousness. The ongoing debates highlight a tension between an empirical approach and the lived reality of mental phenomena, making it a contentious yet vital area within the philosophy of mind.

Related terms

Physicalism: The belief that everything that exists is physical or depends on physical processes, closely related to eliminative materialism in its rejection of non-physical entities.

Functionalism: The theory that mental states are defined by their functional roles rather than by their internal composition, contrasting with eliminative materialism's outright denial of mental states.

Reductionism: The approach of reducing complex phenomena to their simplest components, which can align with eliminative materialism in understanding mental processes through neuroscience.