Essay on Functionalism - 1313 Words

Theories have been composed and exposed by various philosophers to clarify their reasoning about the mind. Dualism, Behaviorism, and Identity Theory, are well-known theories supported by well-written explanations. A modern theory, Functionalism provides ample insight to the main problem philosophers deal with, the mind/body problem. Functionalism was developed as a combination of the Behaviorist theory and the Identity theory. Behaviorism believes being in a mental state is the same as a physical state, which is a noticeable behavioral characteristic. For instance, if one claims they are unhappy, there physical state could include a frowning display or inappropriate posture. On the other hand, the Identity Theory suggests when one†¦show more content†¦If the machine is in S2, and sees a â€Å"1†, it says Even and returns to S1. The purpose of this case Block provided us is to give us a direct insight to how a functionalist theory works. The nature of a mental state in a human mind is equivalent to the nature of a machines state; therefore, it can demonstrate the relations to other states and to inputs and outputs. Functionalism is the dogma for creating something a thought; a desire, a belief, pain, or satisfaction by allowing its dependence only on the role it plays in the cognitive system. Another classic example demonstrated through the functionalist theory, is being in a mental state of pain that induces the notion that something is wrong with one’s body, where the individual wishes to be out of its mental state and as a result, possible behavioral outputs may include wincing, moaning, crying, or anxiety. In the functionalist theory, it states that any creature that is capable of a mental state and meets its conditions experiences pain (Levin). Humans have a process of neural activity, for instance C-fiber stimulation, which meets the conditions of functionalism. Therefore, humans can experience pain by C-fiber stimulation. The theor y also allows other creatures with different physical makeups that have mental states can also experience pain. Functionalist became aware that creatures with different types of physical states could experience pain. AShow MoreRelatedFunctionalism And Functionalism Of Functionalism1837 Words   |  8 PagesA Functionalism is the theory that what makes something a mental state depends on its function or role in the cognitive system, instead of its internal constitution. To put it another way, functionalism holds that mental states correspond to functional states. Functionalism is the offspring of both identity theory and behaviorism, and comes in a few different flavors. For example, there is machine functionalism, psycho-functionalism, analytic functionalism, role-functionalism and realizer-functionalismRead MoreFunctionalism And The Inverted Spectrum1545 Words   |  7 Pagesimportant challenge to functionalist accounts of qualia. Functionalism is committed to defining mental s tates in terms of their cause and effects . By identifying sensory events with casual roles, however, functionalism appears to be missing qualitative aspects all together. The topic of spectrum inversion has often been raised as a contradiction to functionalism, as well as other materialist theories about consciousness. These negates to functionalism show that even when all the relevant physical factsRead MoreEssay on Functionalism in Education1134 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Having attended public schools throughout my childhood and adolescence, I never was familiar with the term functionalism and its many elements. After observing and analyzing my field placement classroom I have come to understand the concept of functionalism to some extent. In general, functionalists â€Å"see schools as serving to socialize students to adapt to the economic, political, and social institutions of that society† (Feinberg, p.6, 2004). They also theorize that in order for societies toRead MoreFunctionalism Of Brazil : Cause Or Style?1623 Words   |  7 PagesFunctionalism in Brazil: cause or style? The premise form follows function was first used by Sullivan in the late nineteenth century and built by Modernist Architecture in Europe in the twentieth century. 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Additionally, they further elaborate on functionalRead MoreFunctionalism And Its Impact On Physical Body Essay1934 Words   |  8 Pageswith our physical body? Do they interact at all? Are they two separate entities or one in the same? Many theories try to answer these types of questions, but the one I will be focusing on is role functionalism. When mentioning functionalism throughout, I will be referring to role functionalism. Functionalism is a theory that says mental states can be defined by their function. So, we can identify mental states with their functional states. We can come to know the function of a mental state through examiningRead MoreStructural Functionalism And Its Impact On Society Essay911 Words   |  4 PagesStructural functionalism â€Å"is a macro-level theory that views a society as a complete unit† (Grand Canyon). Structural functionalism shows how society works together. It also brings out the individual roles, stri cter and functions that people in society have. In our book figure 2.1 displays a few examples. It has politics listed as the structure and their function is to maintain order and control. The world works with this theory because you need the ones in the structural positions to be able toRead MoreConflict Theory Vs. Structural Functionalism978 Words   |  4 PagesConflict Theory vs. Structural Functionalism, this is like a fight between conservative and liberal. Structural Functionalism is a sociological theory that focuses on the structures of society and their functional significance (positive and negative consequences) for other structures (Ritzer, 2013). In another word, Structural Functionalism focuses on hierarchy, high position in the society. The theory is based on the belief that a person who held a high position like doctor or lawyer should getRead MoreGeorge Peter Murdocks Theory Of Structural Functionalism953 Words   |  4 Pages In the theory of Structural Functionalism, one believes that society is made up of many parts which depend on each other to work and if one fails, all will fail. Imagine the body; each organ has a set function. If the heart stopped doing what it was supposed to be doing and tried to digest your food, what would happen? Functionalists consider family as an essential building block of society. This is an analogy to decide that if one part of society actually starts failing, the society dies. GeorgeRead MoreFunctionalism : Functionalism And Functionalism1100 Words   |  5 PagesFUNCTIONALISM AND WEBERIANISM Functionalism has been focused on different parts of the societies ‘functioning’ to keep up social order and foundation. Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons and Robert Merton were the three main theorists of functionalism, where they studied to understand how different parts of society could connect and work towards promoting social steadiness and harmony. Parsons viewed health as an important part of foundation and building a better society where illness has stopped