The concept of physicalism

The concept of physicalism

Question One

The concept of physicalism can also be referred to as Materialistic Monism. The idea of physicalism states that any object that exists extends within the boundaries of its physical properties and that the only existing substance is the physical. Physicalism and materialism can be used in place of each other. However, there exists a difference between the two. The difference is that materialism is primarily used in line with metaphysics, while physicalism is mostly used in line with the philosophy of mind. When we take the concept of physicalism to be accurate, there cannot be a world that is identical to the actual world considering all the physical attributes but which is not similar to the real world in terms of biological, social, or psychological aspects. It is to means that objects which have similar physical properties must similarly exhibit identical properties in terms of their biological, social, or psychological issues.

Mary’s room is a phrase that is used to refer to some kind of an experiment on human thoughts. The investigation argues that there exist some non-physical characteristics as well as attainable knowledge, which is discovered via conscious experience only. In simple terms, Mary’s room experiment denies the concept that all knowledge is physical knowledge. According to Jack, the thought experiment advocates that the physical truth does not explain for all the sources of information or learning material. The reason is that as soon as Mary left her experimental room, she learned a new idea that was not deduced from what she had learned in the experimental room

In conclusion, Jackson states that there is exists some consistency between epiphenomenalism and knowledge argument. I agree with Jackson that consciousness is not physical. Mary’s room experiment proves that an individual can learn new information that is not deduced from physical knowledge.

Question Two

There is a primary difference between Kant’s deontology and Utilitarianism. Kant’s deontology defines a wrong or right action or event without considering the consequences or side effects. In terms of the utilitarian, an action can only be described as right or wrong after assessing the outcomes that are attributed or associated with the specific activity. In other words, the two concepts represent two ethical systems that are incredibly different. Deontology does not care about the end effects of the action, while Utilitarianism focuses on the end justification of action. A simple example of Kant’s deontology in action is the action of killing someone. The act of killing someone is wrong. The concept does not wait to learn why the killing was made. An example of a Utilitarian act is killing a person infected with a virus that spread to the entire population hence wiping it out. The critical point is the final effect of the action but not the action itself. The two ideologies are of great importance in our society. Since society has many dimensions, there will be several scenarios where one doctrine will prove to be better than the other. However, my choice between the two ideologies could be determined by the nature of the situation. However, if I have to choose one of them despite the kind of scenario. My choice could be the utilitarian because I believe it is important to listen or know the reason as to why a particular action was taken.

Question Three

The virtue ethics concept by Aristotle is a character-based approach to define or judge morality. The theory argues that human beings acquire virtue depending on the degree of practice. The continuous and uninterrupted practice of acts of honesty, bravery, justice, generosity, and humility develops a person into an honorable and moral person. On the other hand, the ethics care theory is normative and argues that the morality of an action is based on interpersonal relationships of people and takes benevolence as a virtue. The method of ethics is one of the many methods that was developed by feminists. The feminists developed the approach during the 2^nd part of the 20^th century. According to Aristotle, some examples of moral virtues include being honest, demonstrating courage, being generous, practicing fidelity and integrity as well as demonstrating self-control and fairness, among many more. Examples of moral action, according to the theory of ethics of care, including what is regarded as business morals or professional ethics. Examples of these include the act of a doctor or lawyer keeping the confidentiality of information shared to them by their clients. One of the weaknesses of the Aristotle Virtue ethics is that it is relativistic. It means that there are no standard qualities that cut across all cultures. What Agikuyu of Kenya believes to be honorable will vary from what Indian communities in America believe in. In the same case, the main weakness of the ethics of care theory is that it introduces the aspect of devolution into tribalism. An elaboration of this is that if I am a member of a particular group, I should care for the group. But groups should take care of their selves. If I am to decide to choose between the two concepts, I will run for Aristotle’s virtue theory because if I am honest and generous, then I will be useful to both groups and individuals.