Single Idea 6535

[catalogued under 17. Mind and Body / C. Functionalism / 5. Teleological Functionalism]

Full Idea

Highly teleological characterisations, unlike naïve and explicated mental characterisations, have the virtue of shading off fairly smoothly into (more) brutely physical ones.

Clarification

'Teleology' concerns purposes

Gist of Idea

Teleological characterisations shade off smoothly into brutely physical ones

Source

William Lycan (Consciousness [1987], 4.3)

Book Reference

Lycan,William G.: 'Consciousness' [MIT 1995], p.43


A Reaction

Thus the purpose of a car engine, and a spark plug, and the spark, and the temperature, and the vibration of molecules show a fading away of the overt purpose, disappearing into the pointless activity of electrons and quantum levels.