Kripke’s Modal Argument Against Type Identity Theories

1889 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Criticism of social identity theory

Type identity theories are mainly concerned with the premise that the brain and the mind are identical and discuss mental states and reduce them to the physical. Saul Kripke made some influential criticisms to type identity theory. Kripke’s criticisms rely on views about essentialism, modality and possible world semantics, (Hanks) Kripke’s argument is directed at the thesis from Identity theory that each physical state is identical to an undifferentiated mental state, Kripke relies upon the concept of a rigid designator, and the necessity of this rigid designator to disprove statements of identity. Kripke states these “analytic tools go against the identity theory.” (Munitz,1971:163)

The identity theory of the mind is a physicalist theory which holds that “every mental state is identical with some state in the brain” (Braddon-Mitchell&Jackson,2006:95), According to the identity theory, desire and beliefs are all just physical states of your brain. Many philosophers agree that the mind is not an entity that can exist independently of its states and is an aggregation of its ‘mental states unified into ‘one’ mind.’(ibid) If one thinks of experiencing pain, the identity theory of mind claims that this experience is a brain process and not merely correlated with brain processes.(Smart,2012) Kripke disagrees with type identity, because one can conceive of the mental state without the brain state (and vice versa), which will be explained later in this essay.

Type identity theories, speak of scientific identity, science talks of causal links, but also of identity. In science no truth can be gained from just thinking about instances, empirical truths must be gained a posteriori, through observations and experiments. Therefore, one know’...

... middle of paper ...

... London. p32.
Kripke, S., 1980, Naming and Necessity, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. pp.150-160

Lowe, E.J. 2007, An introduction to the philosophy of mind, United States of America, New York, Cambridge University Press. pg 146.

Munitz, M (1971) Identity and Individuation. “Identity and Necessity” New York, New York Press. pg 163

Putnam, H., (1975), ‘The Meaning of “Meaning”’, in H. Putnam, Mind, Language and Reality, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Smart, J.J.C., (1981), ‘Physicalism and Emergence’, Neuroscience, 6: pp. 109–113.

Smart, J. J. C., (2012) "The Mind/Brain Identity Theory", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy , Edward N. Zalta (ed.), [Online at http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2012/entries/mind-identity/ 07/12/2013]

Soames, S (1998). The Modal Argument: Wide Scope and Rigidified Descriptions. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.

Show More
Related

  • John Perry A Dialogue On Personal Identity

    1153 Words  | 3 Pages

    Personal identity, in the context of philosophy, does not attempt to address clichéd, qualitative questions of what makes us us. Instead, personal identity refers to numerical identity or sameness over time. For example, identical twins appear to be exactly alike, but their qualitative likeness in appearance does not make them the same person; each twin, instead, has one and only one identity – a numerical identity. As such, philosophers studying personal identity focus on questions of what has to persist for an individual to keep his or her numerical identity over time and of what the pronoun “I” refers to when an individual uses it. Over the years, theories of personal identity have been established to answer these very questions, but the

    Read More

  • Smart’s Belief That Brain-processes are Identical to Mental Sensations

    786 Words  | 2 Pages

    Smart argues from the stance of identity theorist and believes that mental sensations are identical to a corresponding brain-process. Much of Smart’s paper is a counter argument against an identity theorist’s greatest rival, the dualist. Most of the human body has been explained by science in terms of biology, chemistry, and physics; though the brain remains largely mysterious. Recent technological advances regarding the research of the brain has allowed us to understand the mind in much better ways which is why Smart feels “that science is increasingly giving us a viewpoint whereby organisms are able to be seen as physicochemical mechanism” (61). He introduces the concept of Ockham’s razor and feels that scientists use it to introduce simplicity into their theories, which makes their explanations of concepts simpler. This simplicity is preferred because it also adds a sense of beauty to the laws discovered. With regards to his lightning example, Smart highlights how our experience of lightning is the physical process of discharged electrons from the ionization of water vapor in the atmosphere. Important to note here is that the two cannot be separated; you will not have a flash of lightning and then an electric discharge, rather lightning is electric discharge. This metaphor is crucial essay’s argument that sensations are identical to brain-processes. Ockham’s razor eliminates unnecessary nomological danglers from scientific theories, so why not apply the same concept to a theory of mind? We wouldn’t describe in our theory of lightning the ‘flashiness’ or ‘jaggedne...

    Read More

  • Breaking Away Reflection

    1802 Words  | 4 Pages

    On a more refined level of Erikson’s theories, James Marcia’s four levels of ego identity are observed. The four stages are; Identity confusion, when there is not crisis or active commitments; foreclosure, still no crisis but starting to form beliefs, goals and values; moratorium, active crisis and actively trying to seek a way to resolve crisis, and finally, identity achievement; one has gone through and resolved crisis, and now has firm beliefs and

    Read More

  • Identity in Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery and Isaac Babel’s My First Goose

    1747 Words  | 4 Pages

    Although the concept of identity is recurrent in our daily lives, it has interpreted in various ways.

    Read More

  • Vertical Identity In Andrew Solomon's Far From The Tree

    960 Words  | 2 Pages

    Identity is a huge topic that could go on for hundreds of pages; in fact, Solomon did. The concept of vertical and horizontal identity is unknown to many, yet very important. Sometimes, we do not belong in the vertical

    Read More

  • Analysis Of David Lewis An Argument For Identity Theory

    816 Words  | 2 Pages

    In David Lewis’ article “An Argument for Identity Theory” Lewis defends the psychoneural identity theory, arguing that mental states or experiences are neural states. In his main argument, he argues that physics can explain the causal relationship between mental states or experiences and physical phenomena. He uses an analogy of a cylindrical combination lock to explain the causal role that mental states play in producing physical phenomena. In order to put the lock into a state of being “unlocked”

    Read More

  • Foucault’s Panopticism and Its Application Within Modern Education Systems

    1703 Words  | 4 Pages

    VYGOTSKY, LS (1978), ‘Mind in Society: Development of Higher Psychological Processes’, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

    Read More

  • Michael Hollinger's Naked Lunch

    1075 Words  | 3 Pages

    Porus, V. N. "Identity of the Ego: Conflicting Interpretations." Cultural-Historical Psychology 3 (2011): 27-35. Print.

    Read More

  • Sensations And The Brain Essay

    1919 Words  | 4 Pages

    This leaves a particularly large hole in identity theory. From neural dependence and the causal problem, it is almost impractical to endorse any type of dualism. But multiple realizability makes identity theory suspect as well. Also emotional additives, and the fact that epiphenomenalism is self undermining but not impossible, lead to slight suspicion of physicalism in general. Basically, this paper set out to endorse and defend identity theory but has concluded nothing definitively.

    Read More

  • Rene Descartes Cartesian Dualism

    799 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to the identity theory, “there are mental events, but they are identical to-the same thing as-certain physical events, that is, processes in the brain” (Solomon 349). The identity theory disregards the idea that two substances interact together and proposes that there is just one mental event that occurs, but there are constant interactions in the human body that occur between the mind and the body. When you explore how the nervous system functions, you will find that there are interactions that occur between mental states and the body. When the body touches something hot, a receptor in the skin detects a change in temperature and an effector acts in response to this temperature change by moving the hand

    Read More

  • Identity and Violence Analysis

    1346 Words  | 3 Pages

    Thus, it can be said that, identity is central; almost core to individuals and their sense of connectedness to themselves and the society-scope they engage in. Kriesberg examines how there is a formation of not only one's own, but also a sense of identity of the other, which further reinforces the self. Though identities can be both 'ascribed' a...

    Read More

  • The Chinese Room Argument

    907 Words  | 2 Pages

    Searle, J. (1980), "Minds, brains, and programs", The Behavioral and Brain Sciences 3, p. 423.

    Read More

  • Philosophy Paper #1: Personal Identity

    1056 Words  | 3 Pages

    What is personal identity? This question has been asked and debated by philosophers for centuries. The problem of personal identity is determining what conditions and qualities are necessary and sufficient for a person to exist as the same being at one time as another. Some think personal identity is physical, taking a materialistic perspective believing that bodily continuity or physicality is what makes a person a person with the view that even mental things are caused by some kind of physical occurrence. Others take a more idealist approach with the belief that mental continuity is the sole factor in establishing personal identity holding that physical things are just reflections of the mind. One more perspective on personal identity and the one I will attempt to explain and defend in this paper is that personal identity requires both physical and psychological continuity; my argument is as follows:

    Read More

  • Identity and Gender

    1615 Words  | 4 Pages

    (Pg.... ... middle of paper ... ... It should be however, only acknowledged that in social practice, I take part in the identities mentioned before. Therefore, their article interpretation of identity relates better to gender, because it is better at showing just how subjective identity can be.

    Read More

  • James Marcia's Identity Status Theory

    1205 Words  | 3 Pages

    In conclusion, the formation of one’s identity has many components. Beginning at the onset of adolescence and continuing to expand, grow and form and reform as we live through the struggles or success of life. Many theorists have endeavored to clarify the development of identity formation. However, Erik Erickson offered one significant theory involving the formation of one’s identity. Expounding on Erickson theory, Marcia developed his Identity Status Model according to the existence or absence of crisis and commitments. These four statuses, diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium and achievement can combine in various ways to produce a self. One’s sense of identity is determined largely by the choices and commitments made, therefore, having a well-developed sense of self can provide an individual with insight to their strengths, weaknesses, and individual uniqueness. An individual that finds themselves

    Read More

More about Kripke’s Modal Argument Against Type Identity Theories

Open Document