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Single Idea 6554

[filed under theme 17. Mind and Body / B. Behaviourism / 4. Behaviourism Critique ]

Full Idea

Old joke: two Behaviourists meet in the street, and the first says,"You're fine; how am I?"

Gist of Idea

Two behaviourists meet. The first says,"You're fine; how am I?"

Source

William Lycan (Consciousness [1987], n1.6)

Book Ref

Lycan,William G.: 'Consciousness' [MIT 1995], p.131


A Reaction

This invites the response that introspection is uniquely authoritative about 'how we are', but this has been challenged quite a lot recently, which pushes us to consider whether these stupid behaviourists might actually have a good point.


The 25 ideas with the same theme [reasons why behaviourism is false]:

Behaviourists struggle to explain memory and imagination, because they won't admit images [Russell]
If we object to all data which is 'introspective' we will cease to believe in toothaches [Russell]
How can behaviour be the cause of behaviour? [Chalmers on Ryle]
Beliefs aren't tied to particular behaviours [Geach]
Superactors and superspartans count against behaviourism [Putnam, by Searle]
Total paralysis would mean that there were mental states but no behaviour at all [Putnam]
There are no rules linking thought and behaviour, because endless other thoughts intervene [Davidson]
Mental states only relate to behaviour contingently, not necessarily [Searle]
Wanting H2O only differs from wanting water in its mental component [Searle]
What behaviour goes with mathematical beliefs? [Kim]
Behaviour depends on lots of mental states together [Kim]
Behaviour is determined by society as well as mental states [Kim]
Snakes have different pain behaviour from us [Kim]
Behaviourism has no theory of mental causation [Fodor]
The inverted spectrum idea is often regarded as an objection to behaviourism [Kirk,R]
Only logical positivists ever believed behaviourism [Lockwood]
Animals don't just respond to stimuli, they experiment [Rey]
How are stimuli and responses 'similar'? [Rey]
Behaviour is too contingent and irrelevant to be the mind [Rey]
Behaviourism notoriously has nothing to say about mental causation [Flanagan]
Conditioning may change behaviour without changing the mind [Scruton]
Two behaviourists meet. The first says,"You're fine; how am I?" [Lycan]
No mental state entails inevitable behaviour, because other beliefs or desires may intervene [Heil]
You can only identify behaviour by ascribing belief, so the behaviour can't explain the belief [Lowe]
How do behaviourists greet each other? [Sommers,W]