The problem of other minds is a philosophical problem traditionally stated as the following
epistemological question: Given that I can only observe the
behavior of others, how can I know that others have
minds?[1] The problem is that
knowledge of other minds is always indirect. The problem of other minds does not negatively impact
social interactions due to people having a "
theory of mind" – the ability to spontaneously infer the mental states of others – supported by innate
mirror neurons,[2] a theory of mind mechanism,[3] or a tacit theory.[4] There has also been an increase in evidence that behavior results from
cognition which in turn requires consciousness and the
brain.
It is a problem of the philosophical idea known as
solipsism: the notion that for any person only one's own mind is known to exist. The problem of other minds maintains that no matter how sophisticated someone's behavior is, that does not reasonably guarantee that someone has the presence of thought occurring within them as when oneself engages in behavior.[5]Phenomenology studies the subjective experience of human life resulting from consciousness. The specific subject within phenomenology studying other minds is
intersubjectivity.
^Hyslop, Alec (14 January 2014). Zalta, Edward N.; Nodelman, Uri (eds.).
"Other minds". Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Center for the Study of Language and Information, Stanford University.
ISSN1095-5054. Retrieved 26 May 2015.