Introduction to Philosophy of Mind

Philosophy of mind is a branch of philosophy that studies the

ontology and nature of the mind and its relationship with the
body.

“What happens when we see, hear, and smell things around us,
experience moods, think of various things, plan appropriate
actions, and command our hands, lips, and body to move, if not
information, information, and information are being processed.
We are just informational entities, ever processing
information and living on the informational side of the
universe.”
 The Mind/Body Problem
The mind–body problem is a debate concerning the relationship
between thought and consciousness in the human mind, and the
brain as part of the physical body.

The mind and body problem concerns the extent to which the

mind and the body are separate or the same thing. The mind
is about mental processes, thought and consciousness. The
body is about the physical aspects of the brain-neurons and
how the brain is structured.

 Difference between Mind and Brain

Mind is associated with the brain. The two terms are often
used interchangeably. Brain is a physical thing’ the mind is
mental.
The brain is composed of nerve cells and can be touched,
whereas the mind cannot be touched.
  Monism and Idealism

Monism

Monism attributes oneness or singleness to a concept e.g.,

existence. Various kinds of monism can be distinguished:
Priority monism states that all existing things go back to a
source that is distinct from them; e.g., in Neoplatonism
everything is derived from The One.
Idealism

Idealism is the metaphysical view that associates reality to

ideas in the mind rather than to material objects.

It lays emphasis on the mental or spiritual components of

experience, and renounces the notion of material existence.

Example:

When you're idealistic, you dream of perfection, whether in

yourself or other people. For example, you might have the
idealistic goal of bringing an end to childhood poverty in the
world.

The adjective idealistic describes someone whose plans or

goals of helping others are lofty, grand, and possibly
unrealistic.

What is the importance of idealism?

From a philosophical point of view, idealism helps in
realizing that ideas, emotions and morals are more
significant than material objects and also highlights that
human development should be according to moral, ethical
and spiritual values as this helps the person in gaining a
variety of knowledge of unity.