Field
Philosophy of mind
The branch of philosophy that studies the nature of the mind and its relationship to the body.
Updated Oct 29, 2026 · 1 min read · 6 connections
- Central problem
- Mind–body problem
- Major positions
- Dualism, physicalism, functionalism
The mind–body problem
René Descartes held that mind and matter are distinct substances. Most contemporary views are physicalist, holding that mental states depend on physical processes in the brain, such as the activity of the neuron.
Functionalism and computation
Functionalism defines mental states by what they do, which suggests that a mind could run on any suitable machine, even a turing machine. Critics respond with arguments such as the Chinese room and the hard problem of consciousness.