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Full Idea
We ought to reserve the term 'concept' for the bodies of knowledge in working memory, and not for our knowledge of long-term memory, because the former, and not the latter, 'control behaviour'.
Gist of Idea
Concepts should contain working memory, not long-term, because they control behaviour
Source
Edouard Machery (Doing Without Concepts [2009], 1.4.1)
Book Ref
Machery,Edouard: 'Doing Without Concepts' [OUP 2009], p.24
A Reaction
[He cites the psychologist Barsalou 1993] Some more theoretical concepts can only be recalled with difficulty, and control our theorising rather than our behaviour. But we act on some theories, so there is no clear borderline.
| 9948 | Unlike objects, concepts are inherently incomplete [Frege, by George/Velleman] |
| 12654 | You can't think 'brown dog' without thinking 'brown' and 'dog' [Fodor] |
| 12609 | Concepts have distinctive reasons and norms [Peacocke] |
| 15690 | Causal properties are seen as more central to category concepts [Gelman] |
| 11140 | Concept-structure explains typicality, categories, development, reference and composition [Margolis/Laurence] |
| 18566 | Concepts should contain working memory, not long-term, because they control behaviour [Machery] |
| 18584 | One hybrid theory combines a core definition with a prototype for identification [Machery] |
| 18585 | Heterogeneous concepts might have conflicting judgements, where hybrid theories will not [Machery] |
| 18578 | Concepts as definitions was rejected, and concepts as prototypes, exemplars or theories proposed [Machery] |