Michael Devitt
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199250967
- eISBN:
- 9780191603945
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199250960.003.0005
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Language
This chapter looks critically at what might be called “philosophical arguments” for the Representational Thesis (RT) view of linguistic competence. It considers an argument sometimes suggested ...
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This chapter looks critically at what might be called “philosophical arguments” for the Representational Thesis (RT) view of linguistic competence. It considers an argument sometimes suggested although perhaps not embraced by anyone: the argument from the rejection of behaviorism. This rejection is compatible with many alternatives to RT.Less
This chapter looks critically at what might be called “philosophical arguments” for the Representational Thesis (RT) view of linguistic competence. It considers an argument sometimes suggested although perhaps not embraced by anyone: the argument from the rejection of behaviorism. This rejection is compatible with many alternatives to RT.
Robert Kirk
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198236795
- eISBN:
- 9780191679353
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198236795.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Metaphysics/Epistemology
This book asks the question: how could processes in the brain amount to conscious experiences? The mind–body problem is mystifying, even after decades of philosophical activity with the benefit of ...
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This book asks the question: how could processes in the brain amount to conscious experiences? The mind–body problem is mystifying, even after decades of philosophical activity with the benefit of progress in psychology and the neurosciences. Previous attempts to remove the mystery have been developed. Behaviourism is a good example. Behaviourists maintain that mental states are determined entirely by behaviour and behavioural dispositions: it doesn't matter at all what goes on inside the head as long as it produces the right patterns of behaviour. This book sets out a view of the most troublesome philosophical problems in this area, and offers solutions. The title of this book comes from Tolman's expression ‘raw feels’ in his book Purposive Behaviour in Animals and Men (1932) which he used to refer to certain features of our mental life which thought science could not capture. Tolman's expression has been modified to avoid any hint that being conscious is a matter of being related to a special class of entities. Raw feeling is not a thing but a process, which this book suggests is purely physical.Less
This book asks the question: how could processes in the brain amount to conscious experiences? The mind–body problem is mystifying, even after decades of philosophical activity with the benefit of progress in psychology and the neurosciences. Previous attempts to remove the mystery have been developed. Behaviourism is a good example. Behaviourists maintain that mental states are determined entirely by behaviour and behavioural dispositions: it doesn't matter at all what goes on inside the head as long as it produces the right patterns of behaviour. This book sets out a view of the most troublesome philosophical problems in this area, and offers solutions. The title of this book comes from Tolman's expression ‘raw feels’ in his book Purposive Behaviour in Animals and Men (1932) which he used to refer to certain features of our mental life which thought science could not capture. Tolman's expression has been modified to avoid any hint that being conscious is a matter of being related to a special class of entities. Raw feeling is not a thing but a process, which this book suggests is purely physical.
Ádám Miklósi
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199295852
- eISBN:
- 9780191711688
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199295852.003.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology
Dogs have always been the focus of human interest about nature. In many cultures they even won the ‘prestigious’ title of being man's best friend, whilst in others dogs did not receive such sympathy ...
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Dogs have always been the focus of human interest about nature. In many cultures they even won the ‘prestigious’ title of being man's best friend, whilst in others dogs did not receive such sympathy from humans. This chapter reviews the history of dogs in science and puts the study of dogs into an ethological perspective that is interested in questions on function and evolution of behaviour in parallel with understanding behavioural mechanism and development. Comparative investigations lie at the heart of the study of dogs, and the chapter provides an overview on theoretical problems associated with the comparative method.Less
Dogs have always been the focus of human interest about nature. In many cultures they even won the ‘prestigious’ title of being man's best friend, whilst in others dogs did not receive such sympathy from humans. This chapter reviews the history of dogs in science and puts the study of dogs into an ethological perspective that is interested in questions on function and evolution of behaviour in parallel with understanding behavioural mechanism and development. Comparative investigations lie at the heart of the study of dogs, and the chapter provides an overview on theoretical problems associated with the comparative method.
Howard Rachlin
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195391381
- eISBN:
- 9780199776894
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195391381.003.0027
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Social Psychology
Problems of self-control as well as social cooperation may be seen as conflicts not between internal spiritual or neurological entities, but between highly valued overt behavioral patterns of ...
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Problems of self-control as well as social cooperation may be seen as conflicts not between internal spiritual or neurological entities, but between highly valued overt behavioral patterns of differing temporal extents or social distances. For example, an alcoholic must choose between having a drink now—valuable in the short run—and being healthy, performing well at work, maintaining satisfying social relationships, etc. —valuable in the long run. The essential question addressed in this chapter is how the latter may come to dominate the former within a person's lifetime. A behavioral evolutionary process is proposed by which valuable temporally or socially extended behavior patterns evolve over an individual lifetime from simpler, shorter patterns. It is argued that complex patterns, such as social cooperation over long periods, arise from simpler patterns in behavioral evolution analogously to the way complex structures, such as the human eye, arise from simpler structures in biological evolution. The idea that complex, long-term behavioral patterns in conflict with short-term patterns, if they are not inherited in toto, must be generated by an internal and autonomous spiritual, neurological, or cognitive process is compared to creationism in biological evolution. The role of delay and social discount functions in measuring the extent of coherent behavioral patterns is explicated. Finally, the chapter examines several implications of teleological behaviorism for practical behavioral control.Less
Problems of self-control as well as social cooperation may be seen as conflicts not between internal spiritual or neurological entities, but between highly valued overt behavioral patterns of differing temporal extents or social distances. For example, an alcoholic must choose between having a drink now—valuable in the short run—and being healthy, performing well at work, maintaining satisfying social relationships, etc. —valuable in the long run. The essential question addressed in this chapter is how the latter may come to dominate the former within a person's lifetime. A behavioral evolutionary process is proposed by which valuable temporally or socially extended behavior patterns evolve over an individual lifetime from simpler, shorter patterns. It is argued that complex patterns, such as social cooperation over long periods, arise from simpler patterns in behavioral evolution analogously to the way complex structures, such as the human eye, arise from simpler structures in biological evolution. The idea that complex, long-term behavioral patterns in conflict with short-term patterns, if they are not inherited in toto, must be generated by an internal and autonomous spiritual, neurological, or cognitive process is compared to creationism in biological evolution. The role of delay and social discount functions in measuring the extent of coherent behavioral patterns is explicated. Finally, the chapter examines several implications of teleological behaviorism for practical behavioral control.
Tom Simpson, Stephen Stich, Peter Carruthers, and Stephen Laurence
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195310139
- eISBN:
- 9780199871209
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195310139.003.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
This chapter provides a brief history of some of the theoretical strands that form the backdrop to contemporary debates among nativists about the evolutionary and cognitive underpinnings of culture, ...
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This chapter provides a brief history of some of the theoretical strands that form the backdrop to contemporary debates among nativists about the evolutionary and cognitive underpinnings of culture, and the ways that culture shapes the mind. Summaries of the contents of each of the chapters in the volume are also provided.Less
This chapter provides a brief history of some of the theoretical strands that form the backdrop to contemporary debates among nativists about the evolutionary and cognitive underpinnings of culture, and the ways that culture shapes the mind. Summaries of the contents of each of the chapters in the volume are also provided.
John F Kihlstrom
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195189636
- eISBN:
- 9780199868605
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195189636.003.0008
- Subject:
- Psychology, Social Psychology
The distinction between automatic and controlled cognitive processes was imported into social psychology, and formed the basis for a new generation of “dual-process” theories of social cognition and ...
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The distinction between automatic and controlled cognitive processes was imported into social psychology, and formed the basis for a new generation of “dual-process” theories of social cognition and behavior. However, some social psychologists have gone further to claim that automatic processes dominate social interaction, leaving little room for anything like free will. For these theorists, human beings are machines — automatons — after all. However, no empirical evidence supports such a strong claim about human nature. In part, the automaticity juggernaut appears to reflect a reaction to the cognitive revolution in social psychology, with its implication that social interactions are mediated by conscious, deliberate, rational thought; in part, it may be a reflection of the biologization of social psychology. But it also seems to be a reflection of an emerging “People Are Stupid” trend within social psychology, as well as a throwback to the historical alliance between situationism and radical behaviorism. Finally, the emphasis on automaticity appears to be based on the “epiphenomenalist suspicion” that consciousness plays no role in human behavior, as well as the allure of the pinball determinism of classical physics.Less
The distinction between automatic and controlled cognitive processes was imported into social psychology, and formed the basis for a new generation of “dual-process” theories of social cognition and behavior. However, some social psychologists have gone further to claim that automatic processes dominate social interaction, leaving little room for anything like free will. For these theorists, human beings are machines — automatons — after all. However, no empirical evidence supports such a strong claim about human nature. In part, the automaticity juggernaut appears to reflect a reaction to the cognitive revolution in social psychology, with its implication that social interactions are mediated by conscious, deliberate, rational thought; in part, it may be a reflection of the biologization of social psychology. But it also seems to be a reflection of an emerging “People Are Stupid” trend within social psychology, as well as a throwback to the historical alliance between situationism and radical behaviorism. Finally, the emphasis on automaticity appears to be based on the “epiphenomenalist suspicion” that consciousness plays no role in human behavior, as well as the allure of the pinball determinism of classical physics.
Rowland Stout
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748623433
- eISBN:
- 9780748652501
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748623433.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
This book provides an up-to-date version of behaviourism, although not a form of behaviourism that denies the existence of consciousness, free will, rationality, etc., nor aims to reduce these to ...
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This book provides an up-to-date version of behaviourism, although not a form of behaviourism that denies the existence of consciousness, free will, rationality, etc., nor aims to reduce these to other sorts of things. Properly understood, the idea of being disposed to behave in a certain way is seen as being exactly as rich and interesting as the idea of being in a certain state of mind. The fact that our ways of behaving are sensitive to practical rationality is taken to be an essential aspect of our nature as conscious agents. In describing such a version of practical rationality, the author claims that we are describing the mental state of someone whose behaviour is sensitive to it. His account of behaviourism rests on two central notions: that of a causal disposition to behave; and that of sensitivity to practical rationality. The author explains and develops these notions in some detail, and then uses them to construct powerful and original accounts of belief, intention, knowledge, perception and consciousness.Less
This book provides an up-to-date version of behaviourism, although not a form of behaviourism that denies the existence of consciousness, free will, rationality, etc., nor aims to reduce these to other sorts of things. Properly understood, the idea of being disposed to behave in a certain way is seen as being exactly as rich and interesting as the idea of being in a certain state of mind. The fact that our ways of behaving are sensitive to practical rationality is taken to be an essential aspect of our nature as conscious agents. In describing such a version of practical rationality, the author claims that we are describing the mental state of someone whose behaviour is sensitive to it. His account of behaviourism rests on two central notions: that of a causal disposition to behave; and that of sensitivity to practical rationality. The author explains and develops these notions in some detail, and then uses them to construct powerful and original accounts of belief, intention, knowledge, perception and consciousness.
Howard Eichenbaum and Neal J. Cohen
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195178043
- eISBN:
- 9780199871223
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195178043.003.0002
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
This chapter provides an historical review and analysis of systematic attempts to characterize different forms of memory, and the central observations that support the idea of multiple memory ...
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This chapter provides an historical review and analysis of systematic attempts to characterize different forms of memory, and the central observations that support the idea of multiple memory systems. It reviews early ideas of multiple memory systems by the philosopher Maine de Biran, the distinction between habit and memory proposed by William James, the notions of behaviorism by Edward Thorndike, cognitive maps by Edward Tolman, schemas by Fredric Bartlett, and cell assemblies by Donald Hebb, and more. It also introduces insights from amnesia resulting from hippocampal damage in humans and from studies of animals that have suggested the hippocampus is critical to cognitive mapping, conditional and contextual association, and episodic memory, each of which highlights relational memory representation and flexible memory expression. Current research focuses on the mechanisms of relational memory and flexible memory expression, and on non-hippocampal memory systems.Less
This chapter provides an historical review and analysis of systematic attempts to characterize different forms of memory, and the central observations that support the idea of multiple memory systems. It reviews early ideas of multiple memory systems by the philosopher Maine de Biran, the distinction between habit and memory proposed by William James, the notions of behaviorism by Edward Thorndike, cognitive maps by Edward Tolman, schemas by Fredric Bartlett, and cell assemblies by Donald Hebb, and more. It also introduces insights from amnesia resulting from hippocampal damage in humans and from studies of animals that have suggested the hippocampus is critical to cognitive mapping, conditional and contextual association, and episodic memory, each of which highlights relational memory representation and flexible memory expression. Current research focuses on the mechanisms of relational memory and flexible memory expression, and on non-hippocampal memory systems.
Garry L. Hagberg
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199234226
- eISBN:
- 9780191715440
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199234226.003.0004
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Language
This chapter introduces Behaviourism contra Cartesianism, the problems of inferential perception, speaking of a person versus speaking of a body, and first-person avowals. It also details issues ...
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This chapter introduces Behaviourism contra Cartesianism, the problems of inferential perception, speaking of a person versus speaking of a body, and first-person avowals. It also details issues concerning what we can too-easily call the description of inner content, real introspection as against metaphysically-misconstrued introspection, competing characterizations of self-deception, cases of self-representation in the arts, and the philosophical implications of Kierkegaard's ‘Diary of a Seducer’. The ‘outward’ criteria and self-knowledge are also mentioned.Less
This chapter introduces Behaviourism contra Cartesianism, the problems of inferential perception, speaking of a person versus speaking of a body, and first-person avowals. It also details issues concerning what we can too-easily call the description of inner content, real introspection as against metaphysically-misconstrued introspection, competing characterizations of self-deception, cases of self-representation in the arts, and the philosophical implications of Kierkegaard's ‘Diary of a Seducer’. The ‘outward’ criteria and self-knowledge are also mentioned.
Galen Strawson
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199267422
- eISBN:
- 9780191708343
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199267422.003.0011
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Metaphysics/Epistemology
This chapter glosses ‘naturalism’, ‘physicalism’, ‘intentionality’, ‘aboutness’, ‘mental’, ‘content’, ‘mental content’, ‘representational content’, and so on in ways that may seem unorthodox but ...
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This chapter glosses ‘naturalism’, ‘physicalism’, ‘intentionality’, ‘aboutness’, ‘mental’, ‘content’, ‘mental content’, ‘representational content’, and so on in ways that may seem unorthodox but shouldn't. It points out that dispositions like belief dispositions cannot — metaphysically cannot — be (mentally) contentful entities, and argues dutifully for the existence of things that obviously exist — not only conscious experience, but also, more specifically, cognitive conscious experience as opposed to sensory experience. The chapter then puts the case for saying that: (1) the only truly intentional entities are conscious experiential episodes. The chapter argues that although one can (with Humpty Dumpty) use words like ‘mental’ and ‘intentional’ as one likes, there is in the end no tenable ground between (1) and (2) full-blown Dennettian behaviourism/instrumentalism/antirealism about the mind — as Dennett himself agrees. To accept (2), however, is to have completely lost touch with reality.Less
This chapter glosses ‘naturalism’, ‘physicalism’, ‘intentionality’, ‘aboutness’, ‘mental’, ‘content’, ‘mental content’, ‘representational content’, and so on in ways that may seem unorthodox but shouldn't. It points out that dispositions like belief dispositions cannot — metaphysically cannot — be (mentally) contentful entities, and argues dutifully for the existence of things that obviously exist — not only conscious experience, but also, more specifically, cognitive conscious experience as opposed to sensory experience. The chapter then puts the case for saying that: (1) the only truly intentional entities are conscious experiential episodes. The chapter argues that although one can (with Humpty Dumpty) use words like ‘mental’ and ‘intentional’ as one likes, there is in the end no tenable ground between (1) and (2) full-blown Dennettian behaviourism/instrumentalism/antirealism about the mind — as Dennett himself agrees. To accept (2), however, is to have completely lost touch with reality.
David Liggins
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199283569
- eISBN:
- 9780191712708
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199283569.003.0007
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology, Philosophy of Language
Truthmaker theory promises to do some useful philosophical work: equipping us to argue against phenomenalism and Rylean behaviourism, for instance, and helping us decide what exists. But it has ...
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Truthmaker theory promises to do some useful philosophical work: equipping us to argue against phenomenalism and Rylean behaviourism, for instance, and helping us decide what exists. But it has proved hard to formulate a truthmaker theory that is both useful and believable. This chapter outlines some of the most prominent accounts of truthmaking in the current literature, and argues that a neglected approach to truthmakers — that of Ian McFetridge — can surmount some of the problems that make other theories of truthmaking unattractive. McFetridge's version of the truthmaker principle invokes the concept of explanation: for every true sentence, it demands an explanation of why that sentence is true. It is argued that McFetridge's principle is intuitively plausible, powerful enough to argue against behaviourism and phenomenalism, and immune to some of the difficulties faced by the most prominent theories of truthmaking.Less
Truthmaker theory promises to do some useful philosophical work: equipping us to argue against phenomenalism and Rylean behaviourism, for instance, and helping us decide what exists. But it has proved hard to formulate a truthmaker theory that is both useful and believable. This chapter outlines some of the most prominent accounts of truthmaking in the current literature, and argues that a neglected approach to truthmakers — that of Ian McFetridge — can surmount some of the problems that make other theories of truthmaking unattractive. McFetridge's version of the truthmaker principle invokes the concept of explanation: for every true sentence, it demands an explanation of why that sentence is true. It is argued that McFetridge's principle is intuitively plausible, powerful enough to argue against behaviourism and phenomenalism, and immune to some of the difficulties faced by the most prominent theories of truthmaking.
Tyler Burge
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199581405
- eISBN:
- 9780191723223
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199581405.003.0005
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Metaphysics/Epistemology
This chapter focuses on relations between second-family Individual Representationalism and other standpoints that either reinforced it or began to undermine it. Sense-data theory was the prevailing ...
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This chapter focuses on relations between second-family Individual Representationalism and other standpoints that either reinforced it or began to undermine it. Sense-data theory was the prevailing form of Individual Representationalism in mainstream philosophy during the first half of the 20th century. By the early 1950s, the influence of sense-data theory was fast evaporating. Sense-data theories did not influence subsequent philosophizing except negatively. Apart from their departures from common sense, sense-data approaches were rejected on two main grounds: they were criticized as subjectivistic and atomistic. Philosophical work at mid-century took on a more realist, more objectivist flavour. It emphasized dependence on context, public availability of expression, and interlocking psychological capacities that make cognition and language use possible. Many philosophers insisted on a role for language even in perception and the simplest perception-based thought.Less
This chapter focuses on relations between second-family Individual Representationalism and other standpoints that either reinforced it or began to undermine it. Sense-data theory was the prevailing form of Individual Representationalism in mainstream philosophy during the first half of the 20th century. By the early 1950s, the influence of sense-data theory was fast evaporating. Sense-data theories did not influence subsequent philosophizing except negatively. Apart from their departures from common sense, sense-data approaches were rejected on two main grounds: they were criticized as subjectivistic and atomistic. Philosophical work at mid-century took on a more realist, more objectivist flavour. It emphasized dependence on context, public availability of expression, and interlocking psychological capacities that make cognition and language use possible. Many philosophers insisted on a role for language even in perception and the simplest perception-based thought.
Galen Strawson
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199272457
- eISBN:
- 9780191709951
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199272457.003.0003
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
This chapter glosses the terms ‘naturalism’, ‘physicalism’, ‘intentionality’, ‘aboutness’, ‘mental’, ‘content’, ‘mental content’, ‘representational content’, and so on, in ways that may seem ...
More
This chapter glosses the terms ‘naturalism’, ‘physicalism’, ‘intentionality’, ‘aboutness’, ‘mental’, ‘content’, ‘mental content’, ‘representational content’, and so on, in ways that may seem unorthodox but should not. It points out that dispositions like belief dispositions cannot — metaphysically cannot — be (mentally) contentful entities. It argues dutifully for the existence of things that obviously exist, not only conscious experience, but also, more specifically, cognitive conscious experience as opposed to sensory experience. The chapter presents the case for saying that (1) the only truly intentional entities are conscious experiential episodes. It argues that although one can (with Humpty Dumpty) use words like ‘mental’ and ‘intentional’ as one likes, there is in the end no tenable ground between (1) and (2) full-blown Dennettian behaviourism/instrumentalism/antirealism about the mind; as Dennett himself agrees. To accept (2), however, is to have completely lost touch with reality.Less
This chapter glosses the terms ‘naturalism’, ‘physicalism’, ‘intentionality’, ‘aboutness’, ‘mental’, ‘content’, ‘mental content’, ‘representational content’, and so on, in ways that may seem unorthodox but should not. It points out that dispositions like belief dispositions cannot — metaphysically cannot — be (mentally) contentful entities. It argues dutifully for the existence of things that obviously exist, not only conscious experience, but also, more specifically, cognitive conscious experience as opposed to sensory experience. The chapter presents the case for saying that (1) the only truly intentional entities are conscious experiential episodes. It argues that although one can (with Humpty Dumpty) use words like ‘mental’ and ‘intentional’ as one likes, there is in the end no tenable ground between (1) and (2) full-blown Dennettian behaviourism/instrumentalism/antirealism about the mind; as Dennett himself agrees. To accept (2), however, is to have completely lost touch with reality.
E. J. Capaldi and Robert W. Proctor
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199753628
- eISBN:
- 9780199950027
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199753628.003.0002
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Social Psychology
There has always been a close association between psychology and the philosophy of science. Although some individuals over the past 200 years have suggested that psychology had little to offer ...
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There has always been a close association between psychology and the philosophy of science. Although some individuals over the past 200 years have suggested that psychology had little to offer philosophy (Kant and Popper), many more have expressed a contrary opinion. The chapter shows that psychology influenced philosophy of science mainly through four areas: perception in the form of psychophysics (on Mach, Peirce, and James) and in the form of Gestalt psychology (on Carnap, Hanson, and Kuhn), animal behavior in the form of behaviorism (on Russell, Bergmann, and the logical positivists), and cognitive psychology (on Popper, Giere, and Thagard). On the basis of the present findings, the conclusion is reached that better understanding of science is considerably dependent on knowing how the mind works, which is an idea as old as the British empiricists and the Würzburg school and as young as contemporary cognitive science.Less
There has always been a close association between psychology and the philosophy of science. Although some individuals over the past 200 years have suggested that psychology had little to offer philosophy (Kant and Popper), many more have expressed a contrary opinion. The chapter shows that psychology influenced philosophy of science mainly through four areas: perception in the form of psychophysics (on Mach, Peirce, and James) and in the form of Gestalt psychology (on Carnap, Hanson, and Kuhn), animal behavior in the form of behaviorism (on Russell, Bergmann, and the logical positivists), and cognitive psychology (on Popper, Giere, and Thagard). On the basis of the present findings, the conclusion is reached that better understanding of science is considerably dependent on knowing how the mind works, which is an idea as old as the British empiricists and the Würzburg school and as young as contemporary cognitive science.
Paul Weirich
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- November 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780195171259
- eISBN:
- 9780199834976
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019517125X.003.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Logic/Philosophy of Mathematics
Decision theory is multidisciplinary. Philosophical decision theory formulates principles of rationality for decisions. Its principles treat primarily instrumental rationality and cover both ...
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Decision theory is multidisciplinary. Philosophical decision theory formulates principles of rationality for decisions. Its principles treat primarily instrumental rationality and cover both procedural and substantive rationality. My school evaluates an option in terms of its consequences, using an agent’s preferences taken in the ordinary, nonbehavioristic sense. This book generalizes principles by removing selected idealizations and making adjustments for their absence.Less
Decision theory is multidisciplinary. Philosophical decision theory formulates principles of rationality for decisions. Its principles treat primarily instrumental rationality and cover both procedural and substantive rationality. My school evaluates an option in terms of its consequences, using an agent’s preferences taken in the ordinary, nonbehavioristic sense. This book generalizes principles by removing selected idealizations and making adjustments for their absence.
Mathew Thomson
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199287802
- eISBN:
- 9780191713378
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199287802.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
This chapter argues that education was a key arena for spreading the influence of psychology. This is not a novel view, but it is argued that too much emphasis has been placed on the role of ...
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This chapter argues that education was a key arena for spreading the influence of psychology. This is not a novel view, but it is argued that too much emphasis has been placed on the role of psychology in mental testing and child guidance as a tool of regulation, and too little on its significance for a more progressive pedagogy. It is argued that the latter reached well beyond the pioneering activities of figures like Montessori, the Russells, and A. S. Neill, and highlights the excitement about psychology among teachers exposed to the new ideas through teacher training. The role of psychological advice in childcare is considered, downplaying the influence of behaviourism and highlighting the ambivalence of psychologists towards popularization.Less
This chapter argues that education was a key arena for spreading the influence of psychology. This is not a novel view, but it is argued that too much emphasis has been placed on the role of psychology in mental testing and child guidance as a tool of regulation, and too little on its significance for a more progressive pedagogy. It is argued that the latter reached well beyond the pioneering activities of figures like Montessori, the Russells, and A. S. Neill, and highlights the excitement about psychology among teachers exposed to the new ideas through teacher training. The role of psychological advice in childcare is considered, downplaying the influence of behaviourism and highlighting the ambivalence of psychologists towards popularization.
Paul A. Dudchenko
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199210862
- eISBN:
- 9780191594199
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199210862.003.0002
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology
This chapter provides an overview of early studies of spatial cognition, focusing on maze learning. It begins with a description of the first maze studies which were based on the Hampton Court maze. ...
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This chapter provides an overview of early studies of spatial cognition, focusing on maze learning. It begins with a description of the first maze studies which were based on the Hampton Court maze. Next, it considers behaviourism and its early proponent, John Watson. Watson and his colleagues argued that animals do not need vision or other senses to solve a maze, but rather rely on a sequence of well-learned motor responses, termed motor kinaesthesis. One of the challenges to this view comes from a series of studies on spatial learning by Edward Tolman and colleagues. Tolman argues that rats, in running through a maze, develop a representation of its entire layout. This he referred to as a cognitive map.Less
This chapter provides an overview of early studies of spatial cognition, focusing on maze learning. It begins with a description of the first maze studies which were based on the Hampton Court maze. Next, it considers behaviourism and its early proponent, John Watson. Watson and his colleagues argued that animals do not need vision or other senses to solve a maze, but rather rely on a sequence of well-learned motor responses, termed motor kinaesthesis. One of the challenges to this view comes from a series of studies on spatial learning by Edward Tolman and colleagues. Tolman argues that rats, in running through a maze, develop a representation of its entire layout. This he referred to as a cognitive map.
Ernesto Screpanti and Stefano Zamagni
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199279142
- eISBN:
- 9780191602887
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199279144.003.0011
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, History of Economic Thought
Considers the neo-Walrasian approach to general economic equilibrium. The conquest of the existence theorem is compared with the defeat on the grounds of uniqueness and stability. Examines the ...
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Considers the neo-Walrasian approach to general economic equilibrium. The conquest of the existence theorem is compared with the defeat on the grounds of uniqueness and stability. Examines the developments in the new welfare economics in the light of Arrow's impossibility theorem and Sen's critique of utilitarianism. Concludes with the controversy on marginalism in the theory of firm.Less
Considers the neo-Walrasian approach to general economic equilibrium. The conquest of the existence theorem is compared with the defeat on the grounds of uniqueness and stability. Examines the developments in the new welfare economics in the light of Arrow's impossibility theorem and Sen's critique of utilitarianism. Concludes with the controversy on marginalism in the theory of firm.
Robert Kirk
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199285488
- eISBN:
- 9780191603150
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199285489.003.0011
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
The main alternative accounts of perceptual consciousness are briefly discussed, including scientific-psychological; neuroscientific; dualist; physicalist; Wittgensteinian; Sartrean; behaviourist; ...
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The main alternative accounts of perceptual consciousness are briefly discussed, including scientific-psychological; neuroscientific; dualist; physicalist; Wittgensteinian; Sartrean; behaviourist; other kinds of functionalist; pure representationalist (Dretske, Tye); higher-order perception (Armstrong); higher-order thought (Rosenthal, Carruthers). The book concludes with a reminder of its core points.Less
The main alternative accounts of perceptual consciousness are briefly discussed, including scientific-psychological; neuroscientific; dualist; physicalist; Wittgensteinian; Sartrean; behaviourist; other kinds of functionalist; pure representationalist (Dretske, Tye); higher-order perception (Armstrong); higher-order thought (Rosenthal, Carruthers). The book concludes with a reminder of its core points.
Jacques Balthazart
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199838820
- eISBN:
- 9780199919512
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199838820.003.0012
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Neuroendocrine and Autonomic, Development
This chapter reviews the various theories that have been advanced to explain homosexuality from an environmental perspective and shows why these theories, although they are still widespread, are not ...
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This chapter reviews the various theories that have been advanced to explain homosexuality from an environmental perspective and shows why these theories, although they are still widespread, are not satisfactory and are not supported by experimental evidence. The arguments presented here concern exclusively homosexual orientation as defined in Chapter 1: exclusive or preferential sexual attraction for persons of the same sex. It considers psychoanalytic theories, theories based on learning derived from behaviorism, and theories based on “social constructivism”. It argues that the evolutionary history of life on earth means that we can find evidence of the causes of human behavior through the study of similar behaviors in other animals, and the role of neurons in initiating and controlling our actions.Less
This chapter reviews the various theories that have been advanced to explain homosexuality from an environmental perspective and shows why these theories, although they are still widespread, are not satisfactory and are not supported by experimental evidence. The arguments presented here concern exclusively homosexual orientation as defined in Chapter 1: exclusive or preferential sexual attraction for persons of the same sex. It considers psychoanalytic theories, theories based on learning derived from behaviorism, and theories based on “social constructivism”. It argues that the evolutionary history of life on earth means that we can find evidence of the causes of human behavior through the study of similar behaviors in other animals, and the role of neurons in initiating and controlling our actions.
