Problems Of Mind And Matter

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PROBLEMS OF MIND AND MATTER BY JOHN WISDOM Lecturer in Moral Science at the University of Cambridge, Lately Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of St Andrews CAMBRIDGE AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS 934 PREFACE In this fyook an attempt is made to give an elementary but not too inaccurate introduction to the applications in philosophy of what is now sometimes called the analytic method. This might have been done by explaining the nature of analysis, but here little is said about analysis and instead elementary examples of its use are given. Foolishly, perhaps, but only occasionally, the bear ing of the analysis upon certain speculative theories has been suggested. How much of this book is dependent upon Professor G. E. Moores work will be obvious. The definition of mental facts p. 1 5 and the analysis of perception Part II are his apart from inaccuracies. The philosophic part of the discussion of the relation between body and mind is based upon Professor G. F. Stouts book Mind and Matter. In the interpretation of this book I have received great help from conversation with Professor Stout and Mr Alec Mace and from Professor C. D. Broads critical notice of it in Mind. I thank Miss Helen Smith, Professor L. S. Stebbing and Professor Broad for the help and encouragement they have given me. J. W. Cambridge July 1934 Vll CONTENTS Preface ...... page vij INTRODUCTION i. Analysis and Speculative Philosophy 2. First examples of analysis ... 3 2.1. History ..... 4 2.2. Science ..... 5 2.3. Mental facts . . . . 10 2.4. Material facts . . . . 18 3. Analytic vocabulary .... 20 3.1. Components and constituents . 20 3.2. Universals and particulars . . 25 3.3. Generic and specific ... 29 3.4. Facts andevents . . . . 31 4. The relations of matter and mind . . 33 IX CONTENTS PART I BODY AND MIND CHAP. I. The Analytic Problem about Ownership page 37 II. Distinction between Mental and Nervous Events ...... 40 1. Sensations and decisions . . . 41 2. The nervous system ... 42 3. Nervous events . ... 47 4. Confusion of sensation with stimulation 5 2 III. Denial of Mental Events Materialism . 53 1. Simple materialism . . . . 53 2. Analytic materialism . . . 56 IV. Correlations between Bodily and Mental Events . . . . . . 59 1. Correlation of development . . 60 2. Localization of function ... 60 3. Correlation with disposition . . 62 4. Correlation of state with state stimula tion with sensation, decision with move ment ...... 62 CONTENTS CHAP. V. Do Bodily Events Occasion Mental Events and Vice Versa . . . page 65 1. The three questions . . . 65 2. Question I. Causal connexion . . 65 3. Question II. Occasioning . . 66 3.1. Meaning of occasion . . 66 3.2. Arguments for occasioning . 67 3.21. of mental events by bodily events 67 3.22. of bodily events by mental events 70 3.3. Arguments against occasioning of mental events by bodily events and vice versa ..... 77 VI. Do Bodily Events Produce Mental Events 83 1. Meaning of production . . . 83 2. Do material events produce mental events and vice versa . . . 85 2.1. Empirical arguments . . . 85 2.2. Philosophical arguments Stouts argument from the analysis of ex planation . . . ., 85 I. The principle of continuity . . 91 II. The principles of resemblance be tween cause and effect . . 93 3 . Stouts argument against occasioning of mental events by bodily events and vice versa and his account of the connexion . 96 4. Summary ..... 102 xi CONTENTSCHAP. VII. Ownership .... page 103 1. Interactionism .... 103 2. Parallelism 104 3. Epiphenomenalism . . . 105 4. The double-aspect theory . . 105 5. Stouts theory .... 106 6. Conclusion ..... 108 VIII. Freewill . . . . iro 1. Freewill and causation . . . no 2. Blame entails freewill . . .114 3. In what sense . . . .115 4. Compatibility of ultimate self-direc tion with the law of causation . . 118 4.1. Determination by disposition . 119 4.2. The finite series of internal determinations . . . .122 4.3. The infinite series of internal determinations . . . .123 4.4...