Is mind reading possible Essays - Ontology, Philosophy Of Mind

Is mind reading possible? Introduction Nowadays, science allows us to explain lots of things such as the composition of matter, magnetic fields or the neural activity of the brain. Those things are explained by different theories, all edited by Humans according to their knowledge and their experience. It is good not to forget that those theories are not always necessary true because they are based on some incomplete knowledge of the universe. Sometimes, different theories exist and treat on the same subject, the same area. It involves that some of those theories are true, and some are wrong. But because everything is not always black or white, it means that theories can be opposite so only one of them is true, or they can also complete each other by adding details or explain something where the other ones fail. For instance, theories about the mind are multiples. Nevertheless, even if science can give a good explanation of how the brain works, philosophers, for their part, are shared between different theories of interpre tation of, for example, what is the mind and how it works. They try to determinate the physical degree of the mind, as to know if it is something material or something that supervenes apart from the material world. To answer the question ?Is mind reading possible?, it is necessary to choose a theory of mind and then develop the argumentation around it. This paper tries, not to explain if yes or no, it is possible to read the mind, because this question is a huge existential question and it would be really presumptuous to affirm that it is solved whereas the most talented scientists and philosophers of the world are still encountering some issues with it. However, this paper focus on the explanation of techniques and the explanation of theories of mind from the subjective point of view of its author. Nevertheless, this point of view is built on a reflection issued from a deep implication and researches about the subject to make it as objective as possible. This study is based on different philosophical theories, especially the dualism developed by Descartes and its opposed theory, the Physicalism. This paper also treats the subject of the hypothetical possibility of mind reading from a scientific point of view. That is why it is developed around some examples and experiences about what humans are capable to do in neuroscience. It will introduce methods used nowadays to interact with the brain, how they are used, why they are not sufficient. Because of the specificity of neuroscience and its complexity, the study will not explain anything about any improvement of those techniques and will only focus on their current state. Mixing philosophical theories of mind and researches based on science, some notions will be explained to clarify as much as possible the concept of mind. What is the mind? How possible is it to read it ? What does the word ?read? means exactly. It can also be interesting to develop a point about why humans are interested in mind reading. What applications it could have in every day?s life. How it could be used. Are there some risks about reading something such private as the mind? Finally, and because the Science-fiction is present everywhere, in cinema, in marketing..., this paper will develop a part focused on the comparison between concepts of mind reading which outcome from fiction and the real application or at least the possibility of a real application in our world. This part will also develop an argumentation on how fiction can affect the way we think of mind reading and how it makes it involves. What is mind reading The first thing to be enunciated when developing the question of the hypothetical possibility of mind reading, and which is an essential question for the rest of the argumentation and a good understanding of the subject, is the meaning of ?mind?. What is the mind and how is it represented? As it has been told previously, there are many different theories treating on the subject of the mind. Almost every theory agree to say that the mind is the centre of conscious experience and intelligent thought. It is what that makes the difference between humans and animals. The