Jerry Fodor Research Paper

Words: 324
Pages: 2

Suppose that fMRI and other advanced techniques in neuroscience allowed scientists to formulate a complete theory of the activity of the human brain. Would this theory also constitute a complete theory of the human mind?
According to Jerry A. Fodor, the theory of the human brain would constitute the theory of the human mind because the latter is a computational machine running on a biological substrate. This philosophy of mind, supported by Fodor, is called Functionalism. It states that mental states are defined by their functions in the cerebral system, which, in turn, are defined as responses to stimulations (Philosophy and Persons 48-49). Therefore, under the functionalist doctrine, a complete theory of the activity of the human brain would