4.1.2.3 Eliminative Materialism

• Eliminative Materialism aims to replace folk psychology with neuroscientific explanations.


  True
• Eliminative Materialism aims to completely replace folk psychology.

  True
• According to Eliminative Materialism, what should replace folk psychology concepts?

  Neuroscientific explanations
• Eliminative Materialism argues that folk psychology relies on inaccurate assumptions
• Patricia Churchland applied neuroscience to support the elimination of folk psychological terms
• Paul Churchland argued that mental states exist as discrete entities within the brain.

  False
• What is Eliminative Materialism in philosophy?

  Mental states do not exist
• What are the key concepts of folk psychology?

  Beliefs, desires, intentions
• What is the primary goal of Eliminative Materialism?

  Replace folk psychology
• Eliminative Materialism proposes that mental states such as beliefs exist as discrete entities within the brain.

  False
• Eliminative Materialism suggests that mental states influence behavior directly.

  False
• Match the philosopher with their contribution to Eliminative Materialism:

  Paul Churchland ↔️ Proposed replacing folk psychology with neuroscience

  Patricia Churchland ↔️ Argued for neuroscience over folk psychology

  Richard Rorty ↔️ Claimed mental states are outdated
• Patricia Churchland argued that neuroscience provides a more accurate account of cognition
• What evidence do eliminative materialists use to argue against folk psychology?

  Neuroscientific evidence
• Why do critics argue that Eliminative Materialism is self-refuting?

  Belief in it requires beliefs
• Match the key concepts of folk psychology and Eliminative Materialism:

  Folk Psychology ↔️ Beliefs, desires, intentions

  Eliminative Materialism ↔️ Brain states, neuroscience
• What did Paul Churchland propose about folk psychology?

  Replace it with neuroscience
• Which philosopher critiqued dualism and behaviorism, advocating for a materialist view of the mind?

  Richard Rorty
• What was Richard Rorty's primary contribution to Eliminative Materialism?

  Critique of dualism
• Critics of Eliminative Materialism argue that conscious experiences cannot be reduced to brain states
• Eliminative Materialism explains behavior through descriptions of brain states rather than mental states.
• Eliminative Materialism rejects folk psychology and replaces it with neuroscientific descriptions.
• Eliminative Materialism argues that concepts like beliefs and desires are part of a flawed and outdated system
• Eliminative Materialism uses empirical data from brain science to make predictions
• Eliminative Materialism assumes that mental states are part of an inaccurate system
• What are the key concepts used by Eliminative Materialism?

  Brain states, neuroscience
• Who proposed Eliminative Materialism as a solution to the mind-body problem?

  Paul Churchland
• Match the philosopher with their contribution to Eliminative Materialism:

  Paul Churchland ↔️ Proposed replacing folk psychology with neuroscience

  Patricia Churchland ↔️ Advocated neuroscience over folk psychology

  Richard Rorty ↔️ Argued for abandoning mental states

  Stephen Stich ↔️ Developed arguments against beliefs
• What did Richard Rorty claim about mental states?

  Outdated conceptual scheme
• Critics of Eliminative Materialism argue that folk psychology has explanatory power, even if it is not perfectly accurate.


  True
• Overall, Eliminative Materialism presents a bold challenge to folk psychology
• What type of explanations do Eliminative Materialists use for behavior?

  Brain state explanations
• Who proposed that folk psychology should be replaced by neuroscientific explanations?

  Paul Churchland
• Paul Churchland argued that mental states do not exist as discrete entities
• Eliminative materialists use neuroscientific evidence to argue against the mental states described in folk psychology
• What do eliminative materialists consider conceptually incoherent in folk psychology?

  Beliefs and desires
• Eliminative Materialism is considered a parsimonious theory because it avoids the complexities of dualism.


  True
• Functionalism defines mental states by their causal role in producing behavior.

  True
• Eliminative Materialism suggests that behavior should be explained using neuroscientific descriptions of brain processes.


  True
• Stephen Stich developed arguments for the elimination of folk psychological concepts like beliefs and desires