Single Idea 3139

[catalogued under 18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 2. Propositional Attitudes]

Full Idea

Propositional attitudes divide into two broad types: neutral informational ones (belief, suspicion, imagining), and directional ones which motivate an agent (preference, desire, hate).

Gist of Idea

Some attitudes are information (belief), others motivate (hatred)

Source

Georges Rey (Contemporary Philosophy of Mind [1997], 1.1.2)

Book Reference

Rey,Georges: 'Contemporary Philosophy of Mind' [Blackwell 1997], p.19


A Reaction

Since suspicions are motivating, and preferences are informational, this is not a very sharp distinction. An alternative would be to say that there is one type, and sometimes the will gets involved.