Single Idea 2348

[catalogued under 17. Mind and Body / C. Functionalism / 8. Functionalism critique]

Full Idea

The idea that there is one computational state that every being who believes that there are lots of cats in the neighbourhood is in must be false.

Gist of Idea

Is there just one computational state for each specific belief?

Source

Hilary Putnam (Representation and Reality [1988], §5 p.84)

Book Reference

Putnam,Hilary: 'Representation and Reality' [MIT 1992], p.84


A Reaction

It is tempting to say that the mental states of such people must have SOMETHING in common, until you realise that all you can specify is that all their states are about cats.