Tuesday, January 18, 2022

A physicalist argument for proper functions in biology

  1. We have beliefs.

  2. A belief is a mental state with the proper function of reflecting reality.

  3. Our mental states are biological states. (Follows from standard physicalism)

  4. So, some biological states have a proper function.

2 comments:

  1. Given those premises it's not necessarily only the case, that "some biological states have a proper function", but also it is the case, that "our beliefs with the proper function of reflecting reality are biological states".
    Just sayin.

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  2. The seriously reductive physicalist would have no problem with this, because to them, ultimately, life does not exist :).

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