Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- Materialism - Types distinguished by their account of mind
- philosophy of mind - Traditional metaphysical positions
- Philosophical anthropology - The challenge of materialism
- Materialism - Reductionism , consciousness, and the brain
- Analytic philosophy - Identity theory
- Functionalism
- philosophy of mind - Explanatory gaps
How does materialism explain mental functions in terms of physical processes?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Philosophical anthropology
Socrates, Roman fresco, 1st century bce; in the Ephesus Museum, Selçuk, Turkey.
Materialism, or physicalism, explains mental functions by asserting that all mental phenomena are ultimately nothing but physical phenomena. Within this framework, several theories attempt to bridge the gap between the mind and the body:1
- Central-State Materialism: This view identifies mental processes directly with processes occurring in the brain. Early "identity theories" proposed that specific mental states (like pain) are identical to specific neurophysiological states.23
- Functionalism: This theory defines mental states by their causal rolesâhow they respond to sensory input, interact with other mental states, and produce behavior. Inspired by computer science, it views the brain as "hardware" and the mind as a "program," suggesting that mental states are multiply realizable in different physical systems.4
- Analytical Behaviourism: This approach argues that talk of the "mind" is not a reference to an internal entity but rather a way of describing how individuals behave in various circumstances.2
Despite these efforts, materialism faces significant challenges, such as the "explanatory gap" regarding consciousness and intentionality, as physical facts do not always seem to necessitate specific subjective experiences.15