Philosophia Christi

Volume 14, Issue 1, 2012

Alvin Plantinga's New Argument Against Materialism

Functionalism and Materialism
A Reply to Tooley

My major dispute with Michael Tooley’s response (“Plantinga’s New Argument against Materialism”) to my original article is with his philosophy of mind. Tooley’s objection depends on a functionalist account of mental states such as beliefs, desires and intentions. I offer reasons to reject functionalism and, hence, the same goes for any objection to my argument that is based on or presupposes functionalism.