type-type identity

A form of identity theory of mind in which it is supposed that mental events can be identified with physical events in such a way that to any kind of the one there will correspond a kind of the other. Davidson is credited with realizing that there is no a priori reason for expecting this to be true, but it may still be so that each mental event is identical with some physical event. The variable realization of the mental by the physical appears to make this a real possibility, although the issue is delicate, since there are different ways of drawing up the types or kinds of event in question. An identity theory that disclaims type-type correlations is a token-token identity theory. See also type-token ambiguity.