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Single Idea 18689
[filed under theme 18. Thought / D. Concepts / 4. Structure of Concepts / f. Theory theory of concepts
]
Full Idea
People tend to positively categorise items that are consistent with their knowledge and to exclude items that are inconsistent, sometimes even overruling purely empirical sources of information.
Gist of Idea
People categorise things consistent with their knowledge, even rejecting some good evidence
Source
Gregory L. Murphy (The Big Book of Concepts [2004], Ch. 6)
Book Ref
Murphy,Gregory L.: 'The Big Book of Concepts' [MIT 2004], p.173
A Reaction
The main rival to 'theory theory' is the purely empirical account of how concepts are acquired. This idea reports empirical research in favour of the theory theory (or 'knowledge') approach.
The
16 ideas
with the same theme
[concepts as components of our theories of reality]:
8791
|
The concept of 'green' involves a battery of other concepts
[Sellars]
|
16511
|
A 'conception' of a horse is a full theory of what it is (and not just the 'concept')
[Wiggins]
|
12623
|
The theory theory can't actually tell us what concepts are
[Fodor]
|
9335
|
Concepts are constituted by their role in a group of propositions to which we are committed
[Peacocke, by Greco]
|
15689
|
Theory-based concepts use rich models to show which similarities really matter
[Gelman]
|
17978
|
We do not learn concepts in isolation, but as an integrated part of broader knowledge
[Murphy]
|
18687
|
Concepts with familiar contents are easier to learn
[Murphy]
|
18688
|
Some knowledge is involved in instant use of categories, other knowledge in explanations
[Murphy]
|
18689
|
People categorise things consistent with their knowledge, even rejecting some good evidence
[Murphy]
|
11137
|
The theory theory of concepts says they are parts of theories, defined by their roles
[Margolis/Laurence]
|
11138
|
The theory theory is holistic, so how can people have identical concepts?
[Margolis/Laurence]
|
18587
|
The theory account is sometimes labelled as 'knowledge' or 'explanation' in approach
[Machery]
|
18600
|
Theory Theory says category concepts are knowledge stores explaining membership
[Machery]
|
18601
|
Theory Theory says concepts are explanatory knowledge, and concepts form domains
[Machery]
|
18607
|
Theory theorists rely on best explanation, rather than on similarities
[Machery]
|
18608
|
If categorisation is not by similarity, it seems to rely on what properties things might have
[Machery]
|