"Multiple realizability" refers to
A) people who have many different personalities.
B) the claim that there are many different kinds of realities.
C) the claim that there are multiple and equally correct views of reality.
D) the fact that the same pattern can be embodied in different physical media.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Multiple realizability refers to the fact that the same pattern or function can be instantiated or embodied in different physical media or systems. For example, the function of computation can be performed by different kinds of hardware or software, such as mechanical calculators, electronic computers, or neural networks, while still achieving the same results or outputs. This means that there is no necessary or unique relationship between the physical properties of a system and its functional properties, and that different systems can realize the same function or behavior in different ways. This has implications for the study of the mind and brain, as it suggests that mental processes and states might not be reducible to or identical with neural processes and states, and that other kinds of systems might also be capable of exhibiting mental phenomena.

"Multiple Realizability" Refers to