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Eliminative Materialism
In the philosophy of mind, eliminative materialism is the school of thought
that argues for an absolute version of materialism and physicalism with
respect to mental entities and mental vocabulary. It principally argues
that our common-sense understanding of the mind (known as folk psychology)
is not a viable theory on which to base scientific investigation, and
therefore no coherent neural basis will be found for many such everyday
psychological concepts (such as belief or intention) and that behaviour
and experience can only be adequately explained on the biological level.
Eliminative materialists therefore believe that consciousness does not
exist except as an epiphenomenon of brain function and some believe that
the concept will eventually be eliminated as neuroscience progresses.
Similarly, they argue that folk psychological concepts such as belief,
desire and intention are illusory and therefore do not have any consistent
neurological substrate.
Proponents of this view often make parallels to previous scientific theories
which have been eliminated, such as the four humours theory of medicine,
the phlogiston theory of combustion and 'vital force' theory of life.
In these cases, science has not produced more detailed versions of these
theories, but rejected them as obsolete. Eliminative materialists argue
that folk psychology is headed the same way. According to W.V. Quine it
will take tens of years before folk psychology will be replaced with real
science.
Eliminative materialism was first defended by W.V. Quine, Paul Feyerabend,
and Richard Rorty. This view is most associated with philosophers Paul
and Patricia Churchland, although philosophers such as Daniel Dennett
would also consider themselves eliminativists for many aspects of psychology.
Philosopher Dale Jacquette has claimed that Occam's Razor is the rationale
behind eliminativism and reductionism.
The most common argument against eliminative materialism the argument
from qualia, which is deployed in various forms by Thomas Nagel, Frank
Jackson, and many others.
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