Mental Processes - Essay Example

Mental process refers to the activities of the central nervous systems based on particular neuro-physiological structures and the performance of specific functions (Mandik, 262). The processes can be classified into three groups; cognitive, affective, and conative. Cognitive processes determine language perception, thought, memory, sensation, and imagination. Affective mental processes include; disposition and affective reactions such as emotions, feelings, and passions. Conative processes incorporate; motivation, volition, and activity. There have been a lot of questions asked about how mental processes are relevant to our everyday activities and whether it is possible to study the mind when we cannot see the mind. The mind-brain identity theory holds that the mind is the brain and that mental states are the brain. It identifies sensations and other mental phenomena with the physical processes of the brain (Brook & Roberts, 178). This theory views the mind and brain as being identical. Unlike other philosophers, who argue that experiences are brain processes, but are non-physical properties.

The brain-mind theory affirms that the mind is a physical thing, which is the brain. This theory disagrees with both substance dualism and property dualism theories (Mandik, 263). The theory maintains that the mind is the brain just like water is H2O or lighting is electricity (Brook & Robert, 178). It dismisses substance dualism on the ground that the mind is non-physical by affirming the mind as being a thing, which is the brain. The theory also disagrees with property dualism on the basis of brain properties such as qualia are non-physical properties (Mandik, 264). According to the theory, qualia indeed are properties, but they are one and similar to the brain properties. This theory refers to the mental state as something literally, inner since a person’s brain is literally inside the body (Mandik, 265). The mind-brain theory gives an explanation of the correlation of mental states with brain states, as it highlights the role of empirical investigation of mind and brain. It also solves the mind causation problems as it reduces the mental realm to the physical (Mandik, 265). This theory plays a role as it investigates the process of the mental state from the physical perspective. However, the mind theory faces the challenge of multiple realizability in which it states, for every mental state there is a unique physical-chemical state of the brain in the sense that a life form can be in the mental state on condition that it is in the physical state (Brook & Robert, 179).

Other approaches, which have developed to the problem of the mind, are behaviorism and functionalism. Behaviorism is the view that the mind is just behavior, that is, to have a mind is to behave and to have dispositions to behave in certain complex ways (Mandik, 266). It explains that we can tell the mind of other people simply by observing their behavior. This approach, however, has been dismissed as a massive confusion. Functionalism approach, on the other hand, characterizes mental states in relation to, another mental state, and with sensory and behavioral input (Brook & Robert, 181). It focuses on the non-mental function properties than the physical implementation of the mental state.

Several approaches have been developed to explain the nature and function of mental processes. This continues to raise curiosity, and it has enhanced the study of the mental process in order to reach a complete and concrete explanation. All these theories, however, point to the fact that the mental processes are complex and somehow inter-relate with each other with both the mind and brain influencing the actions of the other. The study of the mental process has led to major discoveries not only in the human body but also in other animals.