Single Idea 7519

[catalogued under 18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 4. Folk Psychology]

Full Idea

Folk psychology fails utterly to explain a considerable variety of central psychological phenomena: mental illness, sleep, creativity, memory, intelligence differences, and many forms of learning, to cite just a few.

Gist of Idea

Many mental phenomena are totally unexplained by folk psychology

Source

Paul M. Churchland (Folk Psychology [1996], III)

Book Reference

Churchland,Paul and Patricia: 'On the Contrary: critical essays 1987-1997' [MIT 1998], p.8


A Reaction

If folk psychology is a theory, it will have been developed to predict behaviour, rather than as a full-blown psychological map. The odd thing is that some people seem to be very bad at folk psychology.