Physicalism and Functionalism Definition in Psychology

Explaining Subjective Mental Experiences Through Physical Processes

The subjective mental experiences that take place usually depend on the perceptions of the subjects. Physical science provides some explanations of why a person may feel some things, such as depression, which is a mental problem, being linked to the decrease of serotonin in the brain. However, science cannot be effective in offering perspectives on why subjective experiences range from one person to another.

If the treatment and management of depression were as easy as the increase of serotonin in the brain, no people would experience the condition on a long-term basis. Without the personal point of view of a person and the subjective essence of an experience, it is impossible to offer explanations for all mental processes that occur in the brain. Therefore, despite the success of physical science in explaining some mental processes, subjective experiences remain to be explained.

Replicating the Human Mind as a Machine

The discussion regarding the creation of a mind has been subjected to significant debate. Science has gone as far as producing Artificial Intelligence and teaching it how to solve problems, react to different situations, and simulate human consciousness. Although, there is a lack of understanding of how the neuron networks in the brain support such processes as memory or facial recognition. This means that some parts of the human mind can be easily reproducible through the use of necessary data while other aspects remain unique to human beings only (Regalado). One of the most stand-out arguments against the replication of the brain is that the results of stimuli are often unpredictable and depend on non-linear interactions between billions of brain cells.

Work Cited

Regalado, Antonio. “The Brain is Not Computable.MIT Technology Review. 2013. Web.

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