A Level Philosophy AQA
Full course content, a smart revision plan and instant past paper feedback for A Level Philosophy AQA.
Start revising this course →Content Overview
49 topics in 5 modules
☑️ Metaphysics of Mind 10 topics
- Eliminative Materalism
- Features of Mental States
- Functionalism
- Issues Epiphenomenalist Dualism
- Issues for Dualism
- Issues for Interactionist Dualism
- Mind Brain Type Identity Theory
- Physicalism
- Property Dualism
- Substance Dualism
☑️ Philosophy of religion and ethics 11 topics
- The Concept of God
- The Nature and Impact of Religious Experience
- The Challenge for Religious Belief of the Problem of Evil
- Ideas about the Nature of God
- Issues in Religious Language
- Ethical Theories: Utilitarianism, Deontology, and Virtue Ethics
- Applied Ethics and Ethical Issues: Euthanasia, Business Ethics, Just War, Animal Rights
- Meta-Ethics: Moral Realism and Anti-Realism
- Conscience: Theories of Conscience and its Role in Ethical Decisions
- Sexual Ethics: Issues in Human Sexuality and Relationships
- Free Will and Moral Responsibility: Theories of Freedom, Determinism and Responsibility
☑️ Moral Philosophy 12 topics
- Aristotelian Virtue Ethics
- Eating Animals
- Kant
- Moral Anti Realism
- Moral Realism
- Problems with Kant
- Problems with Utilitarinism
- Problems with Virtue Ethics
- Simulated Killing
- Stealing
- Telling Lies
- Utilitarianism
☑️ Metaphysics of God 6 topics
- Cosmological Arguments
- Gods Attributes
- Ontological Arguments
- Problem of Evil
- Religious Language
- Teleological Arguments
☑️ Epistemology 10 topics
- Definition of Knowledge
- Direct Realism
- Epistemology
- Idealism
- Indirect Realism
- Innatism
- Intuition and Deduction
- Philosophical Scepticism
- test
- The Tripartite View
A Level Philosophy AQA Revision Content
Take a look at the written content available for this course. Practice-question availability may vary.
A Level Philosophy AQA - Metaphysics of Mind - Eliminative Materalism Content Preview
Metaphysics of Mind
Eliminative Materalism
Introduction to Eliminative Materialism
- Eliminative materialism is a radical view within the philosophy of mind.
- Contrary to the majority of philosophical theories, it outright denies the existence of some or all types of mental states.
Key Principles of Eliminative Materialism
- Mental states that we believe and speak of, like desires, beliefs, or emotions, do not actually exist. They are simply folk psychology concepts.
- The term 'folk psychology' refers to our everyday understanding and explanation of mind and behaviour based on mental experiences and states.
- Eliminative materialists argue that folk psychology is a deeply flawed and outdated theory; a remnant from a prescientific age.
- Mental states will not be found and explained by future neuroscience because these 'states' are not real phenomena, but rather linguistic conveniences.
Key Figures and Arguments
- Paul and Patricia Churchland are key proponents of eliminative materialism.
- The Churchlands argue that as neuroscience progresses, we will eventually eliminate the need for folk psychological explanations in favour of neuroscientific accounts.
- They liken mental states to obsolete theories in science, such as the four humours in medicine or the phlogiston theory in chemistry.
Criticisms of Eliminative Materialism
- Some argue that eliminative materialism makes a category mistake by considering folk psychology to be a theory. Instead, they suggest it might be a different kind of knowledge, such as know-how.
- Many philosophers question the coherence of eliminative materialism, arguing that it is self-refuting. If beliefs do not exist, then the belief in eliminative materialism itself cannot exist.
- The extreme nature of eliminative materialism makes it a contentious and controversial viewpoint within the philosophy of mind. Despite this, its challenge to mainstream cognitive theories makes it a significant part of the metaphysics of mind discussion.
Question: What analogy do Paul and Patricia Churchland use to illustrate their view on the future redundancy of folk psychological explanations in the face of advancing neuroscience?
Unlock instant, personalised feedback
Sign up to Adapt to practise the exam questions available for this course with instant, personalised feedback.
Start revising this course →Try Adapt now
Add this exact course and build your personalised revision plan.