The Philosophy of the Human Mind: Anti Realism - Coursework Example

Anti-Realism Anti-Realism is a term used in analytical philosophy that describes any position that seeks to deny an objective reality. It also describes attempts to deny the factual verification of transcendent statements. Consequently, it is necessary to explain anti-realism in the essay. There is also an attempt to understand the two arguments raised by Graham about the term and the responses that can reject them. The two arguments are meta-physical anti-realism and moral anti-realism. Those who believe in anti-realism are anti-realists while those who believe in realism are realists. Graham seeks to explore the two arguments without subscribing to either of them. In his book, the Disordered Mind, Graham explores mental disorder with the objective of fostering realism. He postulates that people with mental disorders have muddled minds as opposed to the view anti-realists want people to take, that they have chemically unbalanced minds.This essay serves as a brief introduction to the philosophy of the human mind. Anti-Realism Anti-Realism about mental disorders is the denial of its existence while realism on the other hand is the acceptance of its existence. Graham acknowledges the right of anti-realists to question the existence of mental disorders while noting the folly of such a position given the amount of evidence available on the contrary. The two arguments advanced by anti-realists are subject to examination and the best ways of rejecting them analyzed. Anti-realism is understood by examining how it views the facts held by realists (Graham, 2009). People who deny the existence of mental disorders are anti-realists while those who accept their existence are referred to as realists. Graham presents two arguments for accepting anti-realism.The first one is metaphysical anti-physical realism/skepticism.The core of this argument is that the categorization of a mental disorder has a huge influence on one’s understanding of the causal-explanatory power of the mind and mentality in the physical world (Graham, 2009). It calls for an understanding of this influence for a successful approach to the issue. Reference to mental disorders helps to explain unusual human behavior. Although it offers the most plausible explanation for some behaviors, metaphysics skeptics argue that it is not enough. The second is moral anti-realism. The core of this argument affirms that it is morally wrong to label a given condition as a mental disorder (Graham, 2009). However, stating that the label is wrong does not mean that the standards and norms observed by medical and psychiatric specialists in coming up with it is wrong or flawed. It also does not mean that there is a moral dilemma in the evaluation and treatment process. It means that the dignity of a person and their self-respect should be upheld. Graham refers to it as the “respect for persons” argument. The first argument for anti-realism implores people to ignore the mind in the quest to understand human behavior. Efforts to understand human behavior should focus on the brain and other material or physical aspects of a person. Metaphysical skepticism advocates for the use of tangible and material aspects when explaining the motivations behind human actions. It refuses to accept the role of psychological influences play in human behavior, especially among people with mental illness. It argues that there is no single mental illness (Graham, 2009). The second argument states that it is morally and ethically wrong to label other people as having a mental disorder because it undermines respect for fellow beings and amounts to a violation of human dignity (Graham, 2009). It states that genuine efforts to help those who suffer from mental disturbance or have some form of mental distress must begin with a renaming of the condition. The condition must be replaced with a term that meets the moral standards that people understand. It is also crucial to come up with new ways of thinking about the condition (Graham, 2009). These new ways should offer solutions to treating people who are mentally disturbed or troubled in a manner that looks at them as compromised but still as people with the ability to make responsible choices. In as much as they accept the existence of such conditions, the core argument is that no condition should be described as a mental disorder. I think that the best way to reject the first argument is by examining one of the most famous problems in philosophy. This mind/body problem examines the role of consciousness or intentionality in the physical world (Graham, 2009). The examination of this problem involves an analysis of the two most common attempts to solve the problem. The initial concept is dualism while the second is physicalism or materialism (Graham, 2009). Dualism is the existence of things in pairs while physicalism is the belief that all things are physical and exist in a single state.These two attempts are relevant to our attempt to understand the strengths of the metaphysical skepticism. Each of the two attempts is divided into two.These are substance dualism and property dualism.Substance dualism was advanced by Rene Descartes (1596-1650). It states that the world divides into two different kinds of entities, objects or substances. Each substance can exist on its own.Property dualism states that there are two kinds of properties or features that an object or entity can have (Graham, 2009). Physicalism or materialism states that an individual person is a physical object made up of entirely physical material. It states that persons are made up of matter only.This means that physicalism is a denial of dualism. While recognizing that persons think and feel, physicalists claims that the mental facts a person holds are subsets of physical realities. Though this may not be obvious, the mind is a physical entity.The most common thesis in physicalism states that the feelings of a person are identical to states or processes in a person’s brain (Graham, 2009). The physchoneural identity theory states that all mental activities or processes should be identified with neural states or activities. The characteristics of mind are representations of the brain processes. Graham rejects the idea that for every instantiated mental property F there is some physical property G such that F=G (Graham, 2009). He instead advances a reductive physicalism approach that appreciates that a person’s particular condition may be both physical and mental disorder. Metaphysical skepticism about mental disorder, take the two theories seriously.Choosing to support physicalism against anti-dualism. It states that people have minds in an effort to explain and understand human behavior (Graham, 2009). Metaphysical skeptics state that understanding of minds and states of the mind is part of an irrelevant understanding of human behavior. One way of arguing against metaphysical skepticism is to defend the dualism between the human body and mind and the dualist depiction of a mental disorder. The mind is a real and tangible entity separate from the brain though the two interact. Direct interaction refers to the fact that the mind of a single individual will cause change in their body/brain without doing the same on another individual. It also refers to the way the body/brain causes changes in a person’s minds without affecting any other person. Dualism shows that neuroscience is an insufficient tool by which to understand mental disorders (Graham, 2009). This is because it does not appreciate the role of the mind in human actions. Dualism shows why psychiatry is necessary because it studies the non-physical mind. This is because mental disorders that are not physical or neurological do not qualify as disorders of the brain (Graham, 2009). The limit of physical description argument states that it is impossible to explain the role of thoughts on physical terms. Physicalism argues a single person does not appreciate facts or features about a human mind only. I think that the best way to reject the second argument is to prove that general medicine is value based as psychiatry. This is because the moral advocates argue that psychiatry is a not a true science because it is normative while science is not. Psychiatry is a branch of medicine that is devoted to the examination, diagnosis, management and prevention of mental disorders.Graham advances two reasons for the widely held belief that general medicine is not normative. He says that general medicine is seen not to have a value-based approach because these values are hidden behind set medical practices and standards. The second one states that such values are not contested because they are generally accepted social practices and conventions. Graham uses a hypothetical mental disorder, Grade Obsessive Disorder, GOD as a case study in exploring the second argument. It involves a study of university students reading habits. GOD Obsessive disorder seeks to explain the harmful practices employed by students as they prepare for exams such as pulling all-nighters.These practices are counterproductive. During the classification of GOD as a mental disorder, it appears have met all the requirements of a mental disorder. It consists of a syndrome of behaviors. In addition, there is evidence that it shows a negative effect on the central nervous system. It is associated with sleep disorder and various cognitive dysfunctions. It is inability to do well despite being intelligent and well prepared. Consequently, GOD is a special type of disorder. The Respect-for-person’s criticism is one argument advanced against the classification. This argument holds people responsible for their conduct. It states that people should be treated as responsible agents who can modify any unusual behavior. An unusual or imprudent desire is just a part of the many feelings someone can have. Referring to such people as mentally ill is a failure to respect their human dignity by undermining their power to make choices about the things they do. Rather than humiliate them, the society should expect them to take steps to correct their harmful habits. Graham says Thomas Szasz argues that mental illness is a myth. He claims that only bodies can be ill while minds can only be sick metaphorically. However, this overlooks the fact that physical disturbances can cause psychological disturbances. Grade Obsessive Disorder dehumanizes students and treats them as unwillful objects of medical manipulation that should get therapeutic assistance (Graham, 2009).Classifying someone as a victim discourages them from taking responsibility for their behavioral and academic problems. These classifications form the basis for discrimination as the victims are excluded from some activities they would otherwise do (Graham, 2009). Labeling them as people with mental disorders allows psychiatrists and other mental health workers to become judgmental. Graham appreciates that the moral advocates are motivated despicable actions that target people such actions should inform people to be careful about how the issue (Graham, 2009). He acknowledges that being described as having a mental disorder may not serve the interests of victim. However, he adds that after being diagnosed as mentally ill, the affected people may get the appropriate care and medical treatment they need. Graham concludes that while it is important to ensure that those with mental disorders are treated with respect, it is wrong to dismiss the existence of the condition. References Graham, G. (2009). The Disordered Mind: An Introduction to Philosophy of Mind and Mental Illness. New York, NY: Rutledge Read More