How does functionalism relate to the mind body problem?

Since functionalism recognizes that mental particulars may be physical, it is compatible with the idea that mental causation is a species of physical causation. In other words, functionalism tolerates the materialist solution to the mind-body problem provided by the central-state identity theory.

What is the problem with functionalism?

Functionalism does not claim that every mental system has a machine table of a sort that justifies attributions of mentality with respect to every specification of inputs and outputs, but rather, only with respect to some specification.

What is the main argument of functionalism?

functionalism, in social sciences, theory based on the premise that all aspects of a society—institutions, roles, norms, etc. —serve a purpose and that all are indispensable for the long-term survival of the society.

What is functionalism According to Spencer?

Herbert Spencer: Herbert Spencer was a prominent functionalist sociologist, who likened the functioning parts of society as organs within a body. Functionalism addresses society as a whole in terms of the function of its constituent elements; namely norms, customs, traditions, and institutions.

What are the weaknesses of the functionalist theory?

The weaknesses of functionalist theory is that it tends to lead to exaggerated accounts of positive consequences of sports and sports participation however it mistakenly assumes that there are no conflicts of interests between the different citizen groups in society such as women, people with disabilities, racial …

What is the main criticism of functionalism in psychology?

The weakness of functionalism influenced the rise of behaviorism in early 20th century. It was also criticized for not being psychological and lacking objectivity.

What is a modern example of functionalism?

Typical examples of the functional approach in operation are specialized agencies of the United Nations (UN) such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the World Health Organization (WHO), each of which has nearly global membership.