Single Idea 3428

[catalogued under 17. Mind and Body / B. Behaviourism / 1. Behaviourism]

Full Idea

Behaviourism can be considered as an attempt to reduce the mental to the physical via definitional bridge principles (every mental expression being given a behavioural definition).

Gist of Idea

Behaviourism reduces mind to behaviour via bridging principles

Source

Jaegwon Kim (Philosophy of Mind [1996], p.217)

Book Reference

Kim,Jaegwon: 'Philosophy of Mind' [Westview 1998], p.217


A Reaction

Effectively these would (if they had been discoverable) have been the elusive psycho-physical laws (which Davidson says do not exist). The objection to behaviourism is precisely that there is no fixed behaviour attached to a given mental state.