49.9k views
1 vote
According to Armstrong, the mind is reducible to a physico-chemical mechanism.

Option 1: Mind is metaphysical.
Option 2: Mind is psychological.
Option 3: Mind is physiological.
Option 4: Mind is neurological.

User Bakari
by
7.0k points

1 Answer

2 votes

Final answer:

Armstrong's view posits that the mind can be fully explained by physical processes, aligning with a physicalist and monist-materialist standpoint, whereby mental functions are physiological and neurological in nature.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to Armstrong, the mind is reducible to a physico-chemical mechanism, suggesting that mental states can be fully explained by physical processes in the brain. This perspective aligns with a physicalist view of the mind, which posits that everything, including the mind, is physical. Armstrong's view is a form of monism-materialism, where there is no dualism of mind and matter, but rather a singular substance that is material.

In the context of the options provided, Armstrong's position would not characterize the mind as metaphysical (Option 1), as this implies a non-physical entity. Nor would he define it as solely psychological (Option 2), as that could imply a distinction from the physiological. Instead, the mind is seen as physiological (Option 3) and neurological (Option 4), with functions of memory, emotion, and cognition being emergent properties of neural activity within the brain's complex system.

User HarveyAJ
by
7.8k points