A critical analysis of functionalism theory in the context of Hume's and Nagel's subjectivist philosophy of mind

Subjectivity is a philosophical issue of which traces can be distinctly found in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Today, being treated as a separate and direct subject of examination within the field of philosophy of mind, subjectivity has been one of the prominent topics in discussions about consciousness and mind from past periods to the present. In addition, the subject matter is one of the discussions in the field of philosophy in terms of being a subject presented on whether the subjects explained by theories are experiential or not. To put it briefly, the claim that subjectivity can be better explained scientifically is an issue that brings with it doubt. It has been observed that the core issue underlying this criticism and doubt about subjectivity is related to its being experiential. Functionalism appears to be one of the theories that could dispel this doubt. Therefore, it is one of the philosophical theories approaching the goal of addressing experiences without falling into mind-body dualism. Thus, functionalism theory is criticized in our study in terms of its claims about the realization or explanation of mental states. There is a thesis that claims functionalism when mental states are defined by their functions, would not pose an ontological problem regarding the mind-body issue and would eliminate the possibility of being a reductionist theory. This thesis is referred to as the multiple-realizability argument. Experience and subjectivity emerge as the most significant issues against such a possibility. Hume is one of the thinkers who is the focal point of our study as he is the thinker who draws attention to the issue of subjectivity with an empiricist approach with his theory of the bundle of perceptions in the eighteenth century. As for our other focal point, Thomas Nagel stands as him being a philosopher who addresses the issue of subjectivity in contemporary mind debates and emphasizes the experiential aspect of subjectivity. The scope of our study can be expressed as examining some common points in the theories of Hume and Nagel regarding subjectivity. The aim of our study is, first of all, to bring to the agenda the difficulties posed by subjective experiences, which are at the core of these points, in terms of functionalism. Then, it is to test whether there is a new criticism possibility, focusing on Hume and Nagel. As a result of the examinations, it was concluded that functionalism may face a new criticism regarding subjectivity, based on some parallels between Hume and Nagel. Key Words: Mind, Hume, Nagel, Subjectivity, Functionalism.