Theory, coming primarily from Australia in the 1950s, that various mental phenomena are identical with certain cerebral or neuro-physiological phenomena. (The names ‘brain process theory’ and ‘central state materialism’ are sometimes used for these two alternatives, respectively; more generally, the theory is called simply materialism or pysicalism, though both these terms have other uses too.)
Sometimes the mental phenomena in question are limited to pains or other sensations, and sometimes they cover thoughts, beliefs, desires, emotions, and so on, though this raises problems about whether reference to external objects is involved.
The identity is normally taken to be contingent rather than necessary, which itself raises problems. An important distinction is between type and token identity theories.
The stronger, type, version correlates types of pain, thought, emotion, and so on with types of physical phenomena. The weaker, token, version claims merely that any given occurrence of a pain, thought, and so on is identical with some physical phenomenon (not necessarily of the same kind in each case).
Also see: double aspect theory, neutral monism, anomalous monism, internalism, externalism
Also see: principle of sufficient reason
Source:
C V Borst, ed., The Mind/Brain Identity Theory (1970);
S Kripke, Naming and Necessity (1980) especially, pp. 144-55
Table of Contents
- 1 Videos
- 2 Related Products
- 2.1 Consciousness and Object: A mind-object identity physicalist theory (Advances in Consciousness Research)
- 2.2 Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment
- 2.3 The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
- 2.4 The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
- 2.5 Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race
- 2.6 Neither Brain nor Ghost: A Nondualist Alternative to the Mind-Brain Identity Theory (MIT Press)
- 2.7 The Splintering of the American Mind: Identity Politics, Inequality, and Community on Today’s College Campuses
- 2.8 Philosophy of Mind
- 2.9 The Complex PTSD Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to Regaining Emotional Control and Becoming Whole
- 2.10 Gender and Our Brains: How New Neuroscience Explodes the Myths of the Male and Female Minds
- identity of indiscernibles
- double aspect theory of mind
- identity theory of predication
- anomalous monism
- identity theory of truth
Videos
Consciousness and Object: A mind-object identity physicalist theory (Advances in Consciousness Research)
- Hardcover Book
- Manzotti, Riccardo (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 270 Pages - 10/19/2017 (Publication Date) - John Benjamins Publishing Company (Publisher)
Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Fukuyama, Francis (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 242 Pages - 09/11/2018 (Publication Date) - Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Publisher)
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
- The Body Keeps the Score Brain Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma
- van der Kolk M.D., Bessel (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 464 Pages - 09/08/2015 (Publication Date) - Penguin Books (Publisher)
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
- The Righteous Mind Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
- Haidt, Jonathan (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 528 Pages - 02/12/2013 (Publication Date) - Vintage (Publisher)
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Tatum, Beverly Daniel (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 504 Pages - 09/05/2017 (Publication Date) - Basic Books (Publisher)
Neither Brain nor Ghost: A Nondualist Alternative to the Mind-Brain Identity Theory (MIT Press)
- Hardcover Book
- Rockwell, W. Teed (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 256 Pages - 08/12/2005 (Publication Date) - A Bradford Book (Publisher)
The Splintering of the American Mind: Identity Politics, Inequality, and Community on Today’s College Campuses
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Egginton, William (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 272 Pages - 08/28/2018 (Publication Date) - Bloomsbury Publishing (Publisher)
Philosophy of Mind
- Westview Press
- Kim, Jaegwon (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 386 Pages - 12/28/2010 (Publication Date) - Westview Press (Publisher)
The Complex PTSD Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to Regaining Emotional Control and Becoming Whole
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Schwartz, Arielle (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 191 Pages - 01/10/2017 (Publication Date) - Althea Press (Publisher)
Gender and Our Brains: How New Neuroscience Explodes the Myths of the Male and Female Minds
- Hardcover Book
- Rippon, Gina (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 448 Pages - 08/27/2019 (Publication Date) - Pantheon (Publisher)
Last update 2020-06-17. Price and product availability may change.