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A Defense of the Identity Theory by ©2013 Nicholas K. Simmons Submitted To Why Sensations Must be Neurological Properties: A Defense of the Identity Theory by ©2013 Nicholas K. Simmons Submitted to the graduate degree program in Philosophy and the Graduate Faculty of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Chairperson, John Bricke John Symons Thomas Tuozzo Ben Eggleston Michael Vitevitch Date Defended: April 16, 2013 The Dissertation Committee for Nicholas K. Simmons certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Why Sensations Must be Neurological Properties: A Defense of the Identity Theory Chairperson, John Bricke Date Approved: April 16, 2013 ii ABSTRACT In this dissertation, I defend the thesis that qualitative mental states known as qualia (e.g., tastes, feelings, pains) are identical to physical properties. In Chapter 1, I argue that qualia have a functional role in the world, and that is to facilitate non-automatic mental processes. In Chapter 2, I demonstrate how non-reductive accounts of the mind fail. In Chapter 3, I demonstrate how my reductive account fares better than similar accounts with respect to common and contemporary objections. In Chapter 4, I address arguments against any view like mine which seeks to understand qualia in a physicalistic framework. iii CONTENTS Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 A BRIEF CHART OF THE TERRAIN .......................................................................... 2 Chapter One ........................................................................................................................ 5 What are Qualia For? ........................................................................................................... 5 § 1: ELIMINATIVISM AND EPIPHENOMENALISM ................................................ 6 § 1.1: Dennett’s Eliminativism ....................................................................................... 6 § 1.2: Epiphenomenalism ............................................................................................. 10 § 2: THE FUNCTION OF QUALIA ........................................................................... 14 § 2.1: The Function of Qualia ...................................................................................... 15 § 2.2: Possible Objections ............................................................................................. 18 § 2.3: Implications ....................................................................................................... 25 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................ 27 Chapter Two ..................................................................................................................... 29 Non-Reductive Physicalism and Qualia ............................................................................. 29 § 1: STRONG NON-REDUCTIVE PHYSICALISM .................................................. 31 § 1.1: Davidson’s Argument for Non-reductive Physicalism ............................................ 31 § 1.2: The Causal Exclusion Problem ............................................................................ 33 § 1.21: One Proposed Solution: Functional Reduction ................................................. 37 § 1.22: Another Proposed Solution: Compatibilism ..................................................... 48 § 1.3: The Explanatory Exclusion Problem .................................................................... 51 § 2: A WEAKER FORM OF NRP ................................................................................ 57 § 2.1: Two Senses of ‘Explain’ ....................................................................................... 58 § 2.2: Weak Non-Reductive Physicalism ........................................................................ 60 § 2.3: Where Qualia Fit Into Our Picture ..................................................................... 64 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................ 68 Chapter Three ................................................................................................................... 70 The Identity Theory ........................................................................................................... 70 § 1: THE IDENTITY THEORY AND ITS HISTORY ................................................ 71 § 1.1: Smart’s Modern Predecessors ............................................................................... 71 § 1.2: Smart’s Positive Account ..................................................................................... 72 iv § 1.3: A Negative Account ............................................................................................ 76 § 1.31: Semantic/Epistemic Objections ....................................................................... 77 § 1.32: Metaphysical Objections ................................................................................. 78 § 1.321: Kripke’s Modal Objection ...................................................................... 80 § 1.3211: Smart’s Reply to Kripke .................................................................... 84 § 1.3212: Hill’s Reply to Kripke ....................................................................... 85 § 1.3213: Soames’ Reply to Kripke ................................................................... 86 § 1.3214: A Thoroughly Externalist Approach .................................................. 89 § 1.322: After-Images .......................................................................................... 94 § 1.33: The Multiple Realzability Objection .................................................................. 97 § 2: CONTEMPORARY OBJECTIONS TO THE IDENTITY THEORY .............. 103 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................... 109 Chapter Four ................................................................................................................... 111 Objections to Physicalist Accounts of Qualia ................................................................... 111 § 1: THE CONCEIVABILITY ARGUMENT ............................................................ 112 § 1.1: Two-dimensionalism and Conceivability ........................................................... 112 § 1.2: Responding to the Two-dimensional Argument ................................................... 117 § 1.21: Rejecting Two-dimensionalism ..................................................................... 117 § 1.22: From Semantics to Ontology? ........................................................................ 122 § 2: THE KNOWLEDGE ARGUMENT ................................................................... 123 § 2.1: The Argument in Detail ................................................................................... 124 § 2.2: The Phenomenal Concept Strategy ..................................................................... 126 § 2.21: Problems with PCS ...................................................................................... 127 § 2.22: Problems With Arguments Against PCS ........................................................ 128 § 2.23: Another Try With The Phenomenal Concept Strategy .................................... 131 § 3: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE EXPLANATORY GAP .......................................... 132 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................... 134 Works Cited .................................................................................................................... 136 v INTRODUCTION We have a paradoxical relationship with the qualitative mental properties known as qualia. On the one hand, properties such as the sensation of the color red, the taste of ice cream, or the painful prick of a pin are intimately familiar. It seems obvious, for instance, how the taste of vanilla ice cream differs from the taste of chocolate ice cream. On the other hand, qualia are obstinately elusive, as we have yet to find a place for them in our understanding of the physical world. The natural place to look is the brain but, borrowing from Colin McGinn, we might despairingly wonder how “technicolor phenomenology” could possibly “arise from soggy gray matter” (1989, pg. 349). This problem has rightly come to be known as the hard problem of consciousness (Chalmers, 1996). Despite the admitted difficulty in solving this problem, I aim to make some headway towards reconciling our understanding of qualia with our understanding of the physical world. In particular, I shall defend an account known as the identity theory, the idea that qualia are nothing “over and above” certain (yet to be determined) kinds of brain states. The theory, itself, is not new, as it dates back at least to the 1950s (Place, 1956; Smart, 1959). But, since the 1960s, it has been nearly unanimously rejected by the philosophical and cognitive science communities in favor of an understanding of the mind as (ontologically autonomous) software “realized” by the (non-essential) hardware of the brain (Putnam, 1967). As I shall argue, this was a mistake. Indeed, as it is becoming increasingly apparent that the dominant “mind as software” account has no place for qualia (Kim, 2005),
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