Identity theory
Identity theory
Real World
When an fMRI scanner shows a specific pattern of activity in the anterior cingulate cortex every time a participant reports pain, identity theorists argue this isn't just a correlation — the pain literally is that brain state, in the same way water literally is H₂O.
Exam Focus
Use the 'multiple realisability' objection to evaluate identity theory: if an octopus feels pain via different neurons, type identity theory struggles to account for this.
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