PhD Doctor of Philosophy Philosophy of Mind and Consciousness

Question 1

The mind-body problem concerns the relationship between mental states and:

Accepted Answer

Physical brain states

Answer

The mind-body problem asks how subjective mental phenomena relate to the objective physical processes of the brain.

Question 2

Substance dualism, as defended by Descartes, holds that mind and body are:

Accepted Answer

Two distinct and fundamentally different substances

Answer

Cartesian substance dualism asserts that mind (res cogitans) and body (res extensa) are genuinely distinct substances that causally interact.

Question 3

Type identity theory, associated with Place and Smart, claims that mental state types are:

Accepted Answer

Identical to brain state types

Answer

Type identity theory holds that every mental state type (e.g., pain) is identical to a specific type of neural state in the brain.

Question 4

Functionalism in the philosophy of mind defines mental states by their:

Accepted Answer

Causal and functional roles

Answer

Functionalism holds that what makes something a mental state is its functional role — its causal relations to inputs, outputs, and other mental states.

Question 5

David Chalmers' 'hard problem of consciousness' concerns explaining why physical processes give rise to:

Accepted Answer

Subjective phenomenal experience (qualia)

Answer

Chalmers distinguishes easy problems (explaining cognitive functions) from the hard problem of why there is something it is like to be conscious.

PhD Doctor of Philosophy Practice Test

PhD Doctor of Philosophy Practice Test

PhD Doctor of Philosophy Philosophy of Mind and Consciousness