Concept

Functionalism (philosophy of mind)

Overview

In philosophy of mind, functionalism is the thesis that each and every mental state (for example, the state of having a belief, of having a desire, or of being in pain) is constituted solely by its functional role, which means its causal relation to other mental states, sensory inputs, and behavioral outputs. Functionalism developed largely as an alternative to type physicalism and behaviorism.

Functionalism is a theoretical level between the physical implementation and behavioral output. Therefore, it is different from its predecessors of Cartesian dualism (advocating independent mental and physical substances) and Skinnerian behaviorism and physicalism (declaring only physical substances) because it is only concerned with the effective functions of the brain, through its organization or its "software programs".

Since a mental state is identified by a functional role, it is said to be realized on multiple levels; in other words, it is able to be manifested in various systems, even perhaps computers, so long as the system performs the appropriate functions. While a computer's program performs the functions via computations on inputs to give outputs, implemented via its electronic substrate, a brain performs the functions via its biological operation and stimulus responses.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).

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This name may, however, be also given to the whole system of pure philosophy, critical philosophy included, and may designate the investigation into the sources or possibility of à priori cognition, as well as the presentation of the à priori cognitions which form a system of pure philosophy—excluding, at the same time, all empirical and mathematical elements. Metaphysic is divided into that of the speculative and…
Immanuel Kant, The Critique of Pure Reason
States what Functionalism is.
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Thought moreover is simple, whilst the activities of the brain are compounded of the elementary activities of each of its parts. Furthermore, thought is spontaneous or free, whilst all material activity is determined _ab extra_; and the will can turn itself against all corporeal goods and appetites, which would be impossible were it a corporeal function. For these objective reasons the principle of psychic life must…
William James, The Principles of Psychology, Volume 1
States what Functionalism is.
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Consequently he is likely to set the attitude which has place and significance only in one of the serial functional situations of experience over against the active attitude which describes part of the structural constitution of another situation; or with equal lack of justification to assimilate materials characteristic of different stages to one another. He sets the agent, as he is found in the intimacy of love or…
John Dewey, Essays in Experimental Logic
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