Philosophy Terms

Determinism: Behavior is caused. Biological determinism (nature, nativist) believe genetic predisposition explains behavior. Environmental determinism (nurture, empiricists) believe environmental stimuli is caused.

Indeterminism: Behavior is determined but we cannot accurately measure it.

Nondeterminism: Free will.

Mind-Body Problem

  1. Materialists: Everything is matter. (Monists)
  2. Idealists: Everything is consciousness (Monists)
  3. Interactionism: Mind and body interact. (This and the following are dualists)
  4. Epiphenomenalism: Brain causes mental events but mental events cannot cause behavior
  5. Psycholophysical parallelism: Environment causes both mental events and bodily responses simultaneously but they are totally independent.
  6. Double aspectism: Person cannot be divided into a mind and body but it is unity that experiences events physiologically and mentally. Just as head and tails are two aspects of a coin.
  7. Preestablished harmony: Different and separate but coordinated by external agent.
  8. Occasionalism: God mediates mind-body relationship. (Form of preestablished harmony.)

Mechanism: Behavior can be explained the same away a machine can be explained.

Vitalism: Vital force exists (soul, spirit).