A Critical Evaluation of Gilbert Ryles Concept of Mind

ABSTRACT 

This study emerged out of the need to understand the contemporary global tension and agitations for freedom and self expression at all levels. Such quests that have resulted in so much agitations, terrorism and even outright wars in diverse places are also a result of the great increase in human self-consciousness in recent times. People and nations are becoming highly conscious of pursuing their own identities and destinies as they deem fit without undue interference from any quarters. What are the properties of consciousness or self-consciousness? The purpose of this work is to provide an approximately satisfactory explanation to the problem of consciousness and self-consciousness. This is highly necessary today because the global question of terrorism and other social evils are products of diverse philosophical systems people subscribed to, and allowed to influence their attitudes to life, values, relationships and total existence. This work reveals that man is a unified self-conscious being because self-consciousness is the exclusive feature of the human person and the relationship between mental events and physical events is not a category mistake”. Man is a very complex being, he can feign behaviours purposefully to achieve his desired goal at any point in time. So, mental phenomena influence our behaviours, but they are not always expressible in or reducible to overt behavours. On the basis of the findings in this research it is our position here that, even if consciousness could arise from physical processes, it is not limited to it, for man is a unified self-consciousness being. Therefore, self-consciousness is the exclusive feature of the human person which is responsible for the much increase in the global quest for freedom and all agitations for self expressions both at the individual and the national levels.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Title Page .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. i

Approval Page .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ii

Certification .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. iii

Dedication .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. iv

Acknowledgment.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. v

Abstract .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. vi

Table of Contents.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. vii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION.. .. .. .. .. 1

1.1 Background of Study .. .. .. .. .. .. 1

1.2 Statement of Problem... .. .. .. .. .. 2

1.3 Purpose of Study .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2

1.4 Thesis .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3

1.5 Scope of Study .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3

1.6 Significance of Study .. .. .. .. .. .. 3

1.7 Research Methodology .. .. .. .. .. .. 4

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW .. .. .. .. 6

CHAPTER THREE: GILBERT RYLE’S CONCEPT OF MIND 35

3.1 Gilbert Ryle’s Philosophy of Mind: .... .. .. .. 35

3.1.1 The Official Doctrine and Category Mistake .. .. .. 39

3.1.2 Ryle on Intelligence and Intellect .. .. .. .. .. 49

3.1.3 Ryle on Consciousness and Introspection .. .. .. .. 50

3.1.4 Ryle on Sensation and Observation.. .. .. .. .. 52

3.2 Ryle’s Theory of Action .. .. .. .. .. .. 54

3.3 Ryle’s Dispositional Theory of Belief .. .. .. .. 56

CHAPTER FOUR: A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF GILBERT RYLE’S CONCEPT OF MIND .. .. .. 60

4.1 Are Men’s Thought always Expressed in Behaviours? .. .. 62

4.2 African Concept of Man as Unified Force/being .. .. .. 64

4.3 Indeterminism in Quantum Physics .... .. .. .. 66

4.4 Dematerialization of Matter into a Common Field of Energy .. 68

CHAPTER FIVE: IMPLICATIONS OF GILBERT RYLE’S CONCEPT OF MIND FOR: .. .. .. .. .. 73

5.1 The Human Person/Personal Identity .. .. .. .. .. 73

5.2 Freedom and Responsibility .. .. .. .. .. .. 79

5.3 Death and Immortality …….. .. .. .. .. .. 81

5.4 Cybernetics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) .. .. .. .. 82

5.5 Religious Experiences and Para-normals .. .. .. .. 88

5.6 Extra – Sensory Perception (ESP) .. .. .. .. .. 90

5.7 Psycho-Analysis .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 91

5.8 Epistemology and Ethics .. .. .. .. .. .. 93

5.9 The Individual and Community Relationship .. .. .. .. 94

5.10 Human and Global Development .. .. .. .. .. 95

CHAPTER SIX: THE STATE OF THE DISCOURSE AFTER RYLE’S DEATH .. 99

6.1 The Identity Theory of the Mind .. .. .. .. 100

6.2 The Functionalists Theory of the Mind .. .. .. .. 103

6.3 Instrumentalism .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 104

6.4 Connectionism.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 105

6.5 Multiple Self Theory .. .. .. .. .. .. 105

Concluding Reflections .. .. .. .. .. .. 106

BIBLIOGRAPHY- - - - - - - 110