They’re Made of Meat

1. 1. What does Bisson’s tale suggest about humans and their tendency toward speciesism?
2. 2. Do you believe that whether a being has full moral rights should depend on what that being is made of? Or, to put it another way, is it possible for an intelligent being with full moral rights to be made of something other than meat? Why or why not?
3. 3. If Bisson’s meatless aliens paid a peaceful visit to Earth, would you treat them with the same respect that you would a human? Or would you think of them as having a lesser moral status? Explain.
4. 4. If you had to convince Bisson’s aliens that humans deserve the same level of respect that the aliens grant themselves, what would you say?

The Nature of Mental States

1. 1. Putnam begins by describing four reasons why some have to objected to “Pain=Brain State”. Briefly explain each of these reasons and why Putnam rejects them.
2. 2. Briefly explain the general approach or method that Putnam uses to argue that pain is not identical to a brain state. Putnam claims that being in a pain is a functional state; what does he mean by this?
3. 3. If the identity theory is correct, what must it prove or show? Why does Putnam think it unlikely that the theory will be able to prove this?
4. 4. Why does Putnam think functional characterizations of the mental are supported by behavioral considerations? Why Putnam resist behaviorism?