虽然上面列举了许多不同的意见,但这些争论都可以算是在同一类的概念框架下讨论心物问题,他们对心物问题所使用的概念基本上没有太大的差别,而且,他们基本上都认同心灵与物质的存在,只不过究竟是实是虚则有所争论。然而,这种传统的概念框架却造成难以解决的问题,实体二元论难以解释心物的交互作用,不同的实体之间如何有交互作用? 心物同一论或其它各种不同的物理论(包括功能主义(functionalism)等)都面临了心之不可化约性的问题(the problem of the irreducibility of the mind),这问题是说,既然心物是同一个实体,为何心灵现象无法被物理概念所解释? 唯心论者则面临了当今神经科学的挑战,既然大脑(物质)是被心灵所产生出来,为什么大脑的伤害会导致心灵现象的变化? 而且,唯心论也难以回答物质的恒常性。由于这种传统的概念框架所造成的问题难以解决,近年来有些西方心灵哲学学派开始跳脱这样的概念框架企图寻求心物问题的解答,主要的理论有取消唯物论(eliminative materialism)与扩展论(expansionism)。
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