Single Idea 5498

[catalogued under 17. Mind and Body / C. Functionalism / 6. Homuncular Functionalism]

Full Idea

Fodor sees behaviour as manifestations of psychological capacities, which result from the subject being a set of interconnected 'homunculi', which in turn have subcomponents, all of it arranged in a hierarchy.

Clarification

A 'homunculus' is a little man

Gist of Idea

Mind is a set of hierarchical 'homunculi', which are made up in turn from subcomponents

Source

report of Jerry A. Fodor (Psychosemantics [1987]) by William Lycan - Introduction - Ontology p.9

Book Reference

'Mind and Cognition (2nd Edn)', ed/tr. Lycan,William [Blackwell 1999], p.9


A Reaction

This may well miss out the most interesting parts of a mind (such as awareness, and personal identity), but it sounds basically right, especially when an evolutionary history is added to the system. Parts of my mind intrude into my trains of thought.