Single Idea 3996

[catalogued under 18. Thought / B. Mechanics of Thought / 4. Language of Thought]

Full Idea

I don't believe that folk psychology says there is a language of thought.

Clarification

That is, ordinary talk of mental lives does not imply that we have an inner language in the brain

Gist of Idea

Folk psychology doesn't say that there is a language of thought

Source

David Lewis (Lewis: reduction of mind (on himself) [1994], p.422)

Book Reference

'A Companion to the Philosophy of Mind', ed/tr. Guttenplan,Samuel [Blackwell 1995], p.422


A Reaction

This is aimed at Jerry Fodor. Certainly folk psychology is a strong theory, but a so-called 'language of thought' (the brain's machine code) seems a much weaker one.