ABSTRACT
The identity theory enjoyed a surprisingly brief period of popularity among philosophers. Its decline was not the result of dualist counterattacks, however, but a consequence of the rise of a new conception of mind: functionalism. Functionalists were not put off by identity theorists’ commitment to materialism. Although, as we shall see, functionalism is not a materialist theory per se, functionalism can be seen as compatible with the spirit of materialism; most functionalists regard themselves as materialists of one sort or another. Functionalists allow that although immaterial substances – spirits, for instance – are conceivable, in all probability every substance is a material substance. If this is so, then every property possessed by a substance is possessed by a material substance. Does this imply that every property is a material property? Are mental properties a species of material property? The issues here are murky. We shall explore them in the sections – and chapters – that follow.
