Philosophy Terms
by Brian Sather, created Oct 4 2009 - 4:04pm
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
- Materialists: Everything is matter. (Monists)
- Idealists: Everything is consciousness (Monists)
- Interactionism: Mind and body interact. (This and the following are dualists)
- Epiphenomenalism: Brain causes mental events but mental events cannot cause behavior
- Psycholophysical parallelism: Environment causes both mental events and bodily responses simultaneously but they are totally independent.
- 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.
- Preestablished harmony: Different and separate but coordinated by external agent.
- 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).
