Physicalist theories. One lesson at a time: listen to the episode, play the three games until the streak holds, then write to a real past-paper question in the time the exam gives you.
Specimen to 2026, by tariff. A dash means that year's question at that tariff was on another unit of the same section.
| Year | 3 marks | 5 marks | 5 marks | 12 marks | 25 marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specimen | Q01What do eliminative materialists claim about mental states? | — | — | Q04Outline mind-brain type identity theory and explain how the issue of multiple realisability challenges this view. | Q05Does philosophical behaviourism give the correct account of mental states? |
| 2019 | — | — | Q03Explain Ryle's claim that substance dualism makes a 'category mistake'. | — | Q05Is eliminative materialism convincing? |
| 2020 | Q01What is 'hard' behaviourism? | Q02Explain how the claims made by eliminative materialism and mind-brain identity theory differ. | — | — | — |
| 2021 | — | Q02Explain the view that 'hard' behaviourists cannot satisfactorily define mental states due to the multiple realisability of mental states in behaviour. | — | Q04Outline eliminative materialism and explain the issue that our certainty about the existence of our mental states takes priority over other considerations. | — |
| 2022 | — | — | Q03Explain why the asymmetry between self-knowledge and knowledge of other people's mental states is problematic for philosophical behaviourism. | — | Q05To what extent is eliminative materialism correct? |
| 2023 | — | — | Q03Explain the issue that 'Super-Spartans' pose for 'hard' behaviourism. | — | Q05Does mind-brain type identity theory give the right account of mental states? |
| 2024 | — | — | Q03Explain why the good predictive and explanatory power of folk psychology is an issue for eliminative materialism. | — | Q05Is philosophical behaviourism correct? |
| 2025 | Q01State what mind-brain type identity theory claims about mental states. | — | Q03Explain Ryle's 'soft' philosophical behaviourism. | Q04Explain eliminative materialism and explain how it can be argued that it is self-refuting as a theory. | — |
| 2026 | — | Q02Explain mind-brain type identity theory. | — | Q04Explain substance dualism and explain how Ryle argues that this theory makes a category mistake. | Q05Is eliminative materialism correct to claim that our common-sense understanding of the mind is radically mistaken? |
Read your answer as the examiner will. Which of these would they write beside it?