If you believe that Data, the android on the TV show Star Trek, is sentient and conscious, even though his "brain" is made out of silicon and metal, then you would be a(n) __________.
A) eliminative materialist
B) identity theorist
C) functionalist
D) dualist

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A functionalist believes that consciousness arises from the function of the brain or any system that can perform functions like the brain, regardless of the physical substance it is made of. Data's consciousness can be attributed to the functions performed by his artificial brain, which makes functionalism the most suitable option of the given choices. Eliminative materialism denies the existence of consciousness, identity theory holds that consciousness can only arise from physical substances like the brain, and dualism posits that consciousness and physical substances are two separate entities.

If You Believe That Data, the Android on the TV