Editing Philosophy of Mind

= Philosophy of Mind =
A branch of '''[https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy philosophy]''' concerned with the nature of '''[https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind mind]''', consciousness, mental states, and their relation to the physical world.

== Remembering (Knowledge / Recall) 🧠 ==
=== Core terminology & definitions ===
* '''[https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind%E2%80%93body_problem Mind–body problem]''' – The question of how mental states relate to physical processes.
* '''[https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Dualism Dualism]''' – The view that mind and matter are distinct kinds of substance or property.
* '''[https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Physicalism Physicalism]''' – The view that everything about the mind can be explained in physical terms.
* '''Qualia''' – Subjective, first-person qualities of experience (e.g., “what it is like” to see red).

=== Key components / actors / elements ===
* '''Major philosophers''' – René Descartes, Gilbert Ryle, Hilary Putnam, David Chalmers.
* '''Core mental states''' – Beliefs, desires, sensations, perceptions, intentions.
* '''Canonical debates''' – Consciousness, free will, personal identity, mental causation.

=== Canonical models, theories, or artifacts ===
* '''[https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Functionalism_(philosophy_of_mind) Functionalism]'''
* '''[https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Identity_theory Identity theory]'''
* '''[https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliminative_materialism Eliminative materialism]'''
* '''[https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Panpsychism Panpsychism]'''

=== Typical recall-level facts ===
* Central to metaphysics, philosophy of science, cognitive science, and neuroscience.
* Deals with questions of consciousness, intentionality, representation, and subjectivity.
* Intersects with AI, ethics, and theories of perception.

----

== Understanding (Comprehension) 📖 ==
=== Conceptual relationships & contrasts ===
* Dualism vs. physicalism provides a foundational contrast over the nature of mental reality.
* Functionalism contrasts with identity theory by focusing on roles rather than substance.
* Connects with cognitive science through the study of mental representation.

=== Core principles & paradigms ===
* Mental states may be understood through structure (physicalism), roles (functionalism), or irreducible subjectivity (dualism/panpsychism).
* Consciousness includes phenomenal (qualitative) and access (reportable/functional) components.
* Intentionality describes the “aboutness” of mental content.

=== How it works (high-level) ===
* '''Inputs''' – Stimuli, perceptions, internal states.
* '''Cognitive processing''' – Representation, reasoning, memory, emotion.
* '''Outputs''' – Actions, decisions, verbal reports, behavioral changes.

=== Roles & perspectives ===
* Philosophers: analyze conceptual coherence and logical structure.
* Neuroscientists: study correlates of mental activity.
* AI researchers: model cognition computationally.
* Ethicists: derive implications for agency and personhood.

----

== Applying (Use / Application) 🛠️ ==
=== "Hello, World" example ===
* Applying functionalism: describe a pain state not as a specific neural event but as the functional role of detecting tissue damage and triggering avoidance behavior.

=== Core task loops / workflows ===
* Clarify a mental concept (e.g., perception).
* Identify assumptions (dualistic, physicalistic, functional).
* Analyze how the concept fits empirical findings.
* Build a coherent model or argument.

=== Frequently used actions / methods / techniques ===
* Thought experiments (e.g., philosophical zombies, inverted spectrum).
* Conceptual analysis of everyday mental terms.
* Use of neuroscientific data to refine philosophical positions.

=== Real-world use cases ===
* Debating moral status of AI systems.
* Clarifying legal responsibility via theories of intentional action.
* Informing cognitive-behavioral therapy through models of mental representation.
* Designing human–AI interaction frameworks based on theories of perception and attention.

----

== Analyzing (Break Down / Analysis) 🔬 ==
=== Comparative analysis ===
* Functionalism offers flexibility and AI compatibility; identity theory is stricter but neurobiologically grounded.
* Dualism preserves subjective experience but faces interaction problems.
* Eliminative materialism challenges folk psychology but lacks intuitive appeal.

=== Structural insights ===
* Mental states can be categorized into qualitative, representational, and dispositional kinds.
* Consciousness may be decomposed into neural correlates, cognitive access, and phenomenal character.
* Theories differ in locating causation: physical (physicalism), dual (dualism), ubiquitous (panpsychism).

=== Failure modes & root causes ===
* Category errors (e.g., treating mental states as physical objects).
* Overreliance on introspection without empirical support.
* Ignoring linguistic ambiguity in mental-state vocabulary.

=== Troubleshooting & observability ===
* Examine explanatory gaps (e.g., how physical processes produce qualia).
* Assess coherence of argument structure.
* Use neuroscientific data to test predictions about mental processes.

----

== Creating (Synthesis / Create) 🏗️ ==
=== Design patterns & best practices ===
* Integrate empirical data with conceptual clarity.
* Use thought experiments carefully to avoid misleading intuitions.
* Develop models that account for both subjective and objective aspects of mind.

=== Integration & extension strategies ===
* Combine cognitive science with philosophy to create hybrid theories (e.g., predictive processing).
* Integrate phenomenology to capture first-person experience.
* Extend theories to artificial agents and non-human animals.

=== Security, governance, or ethical considerations ===
* Implications for AI consciousness and moral status.
* Privacy concerns regarding mind-reading technologies.
* Ethical constraints on neuroenhancement and cognitive manipulation.

=== Lifecycle management strategies ===
* Reassess conceptual frameworks as neuroscience evolves.
* Replace outdated folk-psychological constructs when necessary.
* Maintain openness to interdisciplinary revisions.

----

== Evaluating (Judgment / Evaluation) ⚖️ ==
=== Evaluation frameworks & tools ===
* Coherence, explanatory power, parsimony, and empirical adequacy.
* Ability to handle counterexamples and thought experiments.
* Predictive support from neuroscience and cognitive science.

=== Maturity & adoption models ===
* Functionalism widely accepted in cognitive science.
* Physicalism dominant in analytic philosophy.
* Dualism and panpsychism experiencing renewed interest.

=== Key benefits & limitations ===
* Benefits: clarifies mental concepts, integrates scientific findings, guides ethical reasoning.
* Limitations: persistent explanatory gap, difficulty of measuring subjective experience, reliance on intuitions.

=== Strategic decision criteria ===
* Choose functional models for computational analysis.
* Use physicalist frameworks for neuroscience integration.
* Reserve dualist or panpsychist views for addressing hard problems of consciousness.

=== Holistic impact analysis ===
* Shapes debates in AI, ethics, neuroscience, and metaphysics.
* Influences legal standards, mental health frameworks, and models of agency.
* Future debates likely driven by AI cognition, neurotechnology, and expanded theories of consciousness.

[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Mind]]
[[Category:Metaphysics]]