Essay on Functionalism

Putnam uses the Turing Machine example to introduce the term Probabilistic Automata. Probabilistic Automata is one concept of the Turing Machine that introduces the mind states is just functional states. The functional state of Probabilistic Automata consists of sensory inputs and motor outputs. ‘Putnam demonstrates how the sensory inputs and motor outputs are a part of a machine table’ (Suarez, pp.24). He illustrates how distinctive states are related to one another and how sensory and motor outputs are ‘transitional probabilities’ that are given to a machine table (p.434, Putnam).

The story I choose to review was about Maurice Rowland, and Miguel Alvarez they both worked at Valley Springs manor assisted living home, Marice was a cook , and Miguel was a janitor. In October the company decided to shut down, and this left many of the elderly residents with nowhere to go. I choose this story because I am a nursing assistant at Bethany Village. I could not imagine leaving so many elderly people abandon and hopeless! I think what these two did was absolutely amazing! they spent three days taking care of these residents, and doing anything from giving them baths, and changing them, to administering their medications. I believe this story falls best under functionalism because both of these men fall under a category of contributing

Functionalism, one of the most influential and widespread theories of mind of our day, proposes a model of human behaviour based on the way certain inputs are processed when the mind is in a given state, to yield certain outputs. This theory concerns itself only what mental states do, rather than the substance with which they are made, or whether they exist at all; this is called ‘multiple realizability’. In other words, the theory is ontologically modest, or flexible, and this enables functionalism to stay compatible with Cartesian dualism or monisms like materialism, an advantage when other theories lose followers due to their ontological preconceptions. The other notable strength functionalism claims is that it avoids some of the pitfalls of its counterpart theory, behaviourism. However each of these apparent strengths has flaws, both in and of themselves and in comparison to other theories of mind. These strengths and their flaws will be assessed in this essay, but allow me first to outline what the functionalist theory of mind proposes.

It is explained by the machine's program. Of course, that program is realized in a particular physics and chemistry, and could, perhaps, be deduced from that physics and chemistry. But that does not make the program a physical or chemical property of the machine…. Similarly, I believe that the psychological properties of human beings are not physical and chemical properties of human beings, although they may be realized by physical and chemical properties of human beings. (Putnam, 1975, p.

Shall be emphasize that this approach needs to be understood in physical terms, this shall be achieved in two ways, firstly making emphasis in a non-reductive view, for instance, functionalism can be amenable with multiple realizability; and secondly, functionalism shall be reconciled with some of the physicalist views such like identity theory following some ideas proposed by Lewis(1978) and Armstrong(1981); in this way a robust non-reductive physicalism shall be secure, this may imply a sympathetic view with Davidson(1970) and the anomalous monism, however this last view shall use just to support functionalism

The “correlation thesis” holds that every “psychological kind” has a particular “physical kind” correlate in every physiology which can include that psychological kind (4). Functionalists amend the thesis to account for multiple realizability in the following way: since a mental state is a “second-order” physical state, the physical state instantiating it need not be exactly the same amongst organisms with different physiologies so long as they share is a similar “structure type” (5). However, Kim notes that within a single system a mental state can be realized in multiple ways. Consequently, for a mental state, like pain, there is a disjunction of physical states, and only the presence of one disjunct is required for pain's instantiation.

Of the three major perspectives in sociology, Functionalism is the foremost perspective. Followers of the Functionalist Perspective believe society is a system of interrelated pieces that work together in agreement to uphold social stability for the whole and that sociological matters should be explained with scientific facts. Within functionalist theory, the diverse branches of society are predominantly comprised of social conventions, each of which is intended to satisfy different needs. The parts are all contingent upon each other. The fundamental institutions outlined by sociology and which are vital to understand for this theory include: religion, family, education, economy, media and government.

Thus if psychology cannot be reduced to physics, it is not because psychology is not physical in an ontological sense; it is because the appropriate bridge laws will not allow a full explanation in physical terms. This suggests the idea of physicalism that may entail Fodor’s view, via the generality of physics; Fodor(1974/2002) suggests “that any event which falls within the universe of discourse of a special science will also fall within the universe of a discourse of physics” (p. 128), he also maintains that “it is not further required that the taxonomies which the special sciences employ must themselves reduce to the taxonomy of physics” (Fodor, 1974/2002, p. 134). Moreover, Fodor (1974/2002) argues that “the attempt to pair neurological structures with psychological functions is foredoomed” (p.130). Thus Fodor allows for the independence of the special sciences – a non-reductive physicalism – and in doing so, implies criticism of the identity theory proposed by Place and Smart, and an alternative he defend a functionalist

Functionalism is the philosophy of science to which Behaviourism belongs too. According to Farrell, p.g. 364 "For functionalists, mental states had to be understood in terms of the functions that they performed, and these functions were a matter of allowing an organism to survive in its environment." Behaviourism was founded upon this philosophy and focused on observable behaviour. This paper will examine how behaviourism was able to stand up to the strict philosophy of science of functionalism and the reasons it did not prevent the fall of behaviourism.

We survive in a world that, in spite of the fact that it has fringes, it is boundless. Individuals can travel anyplace, see anything, background each inclination that ever existed, yet we are not fulfilled. We attempt to force verges on ourselves, we battle today to be perceived as not having a place with their group, to be named as a feature of a littler gathering.The saddest and cruelest part of mankind to me; is the means by which each progressive era rehashes the same errors of the past one. A man can carry on with his entire life - oblivious of this legacy of collected knowledge. He may never go to these acknowledge until further down the road when on trial for homicide; he looks the mother of his casualty in the eyes and all of a sudden understands the genuine frightfulness of his wrongdoing and the trouble he hath fashioned. Human behavior, function and the way the human body works is always a reliable competition over compelled assets. From this perspective, those with more assets appear to have more power. This unfaltering conflict licenses society to create and moving forward and becoming something great.We often seem to think that our behavior comes from the brain and functions of our body but honestly it comes from the what you want to do, you have control over it all, that why we each call it “my

The Mind-Brain Identity Theory is a physicalistic theory, by J.C.C Smart, that states mental processes and states of the mind and the mental processes and states of the brain are one and the same. Emotions and sensations [mental states] are simply brain states and processes or neurological events. Hillary Putnam 's argument is where the theory of functionalism is introduced. This is the theory of the nature of mental states. This theory differs from the Mind-Brain Identity Theory, objecting its foundational claims. (I.1) According to functionalism, mental states are determined by what they do, rather than what they are made of. For example, a writing utensil is

a material account, but we can see that we still cannot identify material account independently of the soul, because even though human beings are constituted from other than flesh and bones, if they possess soul, then their material account does not matter. For these reasons, I can conclude that functionalism cannot be adequate to clarify the relation between soul and body, too. Burnyeat also thinks that functionalism cannot be adequate, because Aristotle has some points which contradict with functionalism. For instance, as I mentioned above, functionalism provide psychological explanation holistically with the material account. Even though form has a primary role, it still presupposes material necessity, because given soul needs a body. However,

Functionalism is the doctrine that what makes something a thought, desire, pain (or any other type of mental state) depends not on its internal

In this paper I will explain and argue for Functionalism. Functionalism allows for a scientific approach to the mind-body problem, while maintaining the integrity of mental and physical states and attributing them to the functional roles they play within the bodily system.

Having attended public schools throughout my childhood and adolescence, I never was familiar with the term functionalism and its many elements. After observing and analyzing my field placement classroom I have come to understand the concept of functionalism to some extent. In general, functionalists “see schools as serving to socialize students to adapt to the economic, political, and social institutions of that society” (Feinberg, p.6, 2004). They also theorize that in order for societies to survive, they must carry out vital functions such as, attaining fundamental knowledge and acquiring essential skills and proficiency, acknowledging certain norms and values within their community, and recognizing authority figures. It is also