science

Mad Pain and Martian Pain

Mad Pain and Martian Pain is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mad Pain and Martian Pain rather than just read about it. In short: "Mad Pain and Martian Pain" is a 1980 philosophical article written by David Kellogg Lewis. Lewis argued that a theory of pain must be able to reflect the most basic intuitions of both functionalism and identity theory.

Key takeaways

Mad Pain and Martian Pain belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mad Pain and Martian Pain to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mad Pain and Martian Pain from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

"Mad Pain and Martian Pain" is a 1980 philosophical article written by David Kellogg Lewis. Lewis argued that a theory of pain must be able to reflect the most basic intuitions of both functionalism and identity theory. Because of such, he proposes the existence of two beings both in pain – one whose physical explanation of pain differs from ours and one whose reaction to pain differs from ours. Lewis states that any complete theory of the mind should be able to explain how each being is in pain.

Lewis's two forms of pain The being with "mad pain" is a human being, except when his brain is in a state of pain, his mind turns to mathematics and he begins to snap his fingers. He is not at all inclined to prevent the pain from occurring. Lewis ultimately goes on to explain that pain is relative to a species, implying that the man who exhibits mad pain is essentially an exception. He is in pain because, instantiated in him, it is that physical state which is normally an instantiation of pain in his species (humans). In Lewis' words, "In short, he feels pain but his pain does not at all occupy the typical causal role of pain." A being with "Martian pain" is not human but, when subject to pain, will react in the same way that humans do. He is strongly inclined to prevent whatever stimulus is causing discomfort. However, the physical explanation of Martian pain is different from that of human pain. He has a "hydraulic mind" and pain is identical with inflation of cavities in his feet. Lewis suggests that the Martian is indeed in pain, because, instantiated in him is the filler of the relevant physical instantiation of pain in that species: inflation of the cavities in the feet. In Lewis' words, "In short, he feels pain but lacks the bodily states that either are in pain or else accompany it in us."

Postscript In a postscript to "Mad Pain and Martian Pain" (published in Philosophical Papers, Volume I), Lewis takes a critical view of qualia. He explicitly identifies pain with qualia, observing that, "We say to the friend of qualia that, beneath his tendentious jargon, he is just talking pain and various aspects of its functional role." (p. 130). He then lays out a response to the knowledge argument of Frank Jackson.

Objections Those who hold that the intuitions behind identity theory need not be respected are free to disagree with Lewis, and to say that "mad pain" need not be permitted or explained by a theory of pain.

See also Pain Pain (philosophy) Functionalism Philosophy of Mind David Kellogg Lewis

References

Sources Mad, Martian, but not Mad Martian Pain by Peter Alward Lewis, David. 1980. “Mad pain and Martian pain”, in Readings in the Philosophy of Psychology, Vol. I. N. Block, ed., Harvard University Press, 1980, pp. 216–222. Lewis, David. 1983. “Mad pain and Martian pain”, in Philosophical Papers, Vol. I. Oxford University Press, pp. 122–130. Lewis, David. 1983. “Postscript to ‘Mad pain and Martian pain’”, in Philosophical Papers, Vol. I. Oxford University Press, pp. 130–132.

External links Online version

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mad Pain and Martian Pain

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mad Pain and Martian Pain claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mad Pain and Martian Pain before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mad Pain and Martian Pain ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mad Pain and Martian Pain

In research: Mad Pain and Martian Pain appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mad Pain and Martian Pain in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mad Pain and Martian Pain is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1980 essays, Cognitive science literature, Pain, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mad Pain and Martian Pain outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Mad Pain and Martian Pain in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Mad Pain and Martian Pain means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Mad Pain and Martian Pain out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mad Pain and Martian Pain in simple terms?

Why does Mad Pain and Martian Pain matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mad Pain and Martian Pain?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mad Pain and Martian Pain.