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Single Idea 6621
[filed under theme 17. Mind and Body / B. Behaviourism / 4. Behaviourism Critique
]
Full Idea
One must already understand what it means to ascribe to someone a belief that it is raining in order to be able to generate the items on the list of rain-behaviour, so the list cannot be used to explain what it means to ascribe to someone such a belief.
Gist of Idea
You can only identify behaviour by ascribing belief, so the behaviour can't explain the belief
Source
E.J. Lowe (Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind [2000], Ch. 3)
Book Ref
Lowe,E.J.: 'Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind' [CUP 2000], p.43
A Reaction
This is thought by many to be a decisive objection of behaviourism, because it makes the enterprise hopelessly circular. If I put up an umbrella when it was dry, you would probably infer that I believed it was raining.
The
25 ideas
with the same theme
[reasons why behaviourism is false]:
6433
|
Behaviourists struggle to explain memory and imagination, because they won't admit images
[Russell]
|
5778
|
If we object to all data which is 'introspective' we will cease to believe in toothaches
[Russell]
|
2387
|
How can behaviour be the cause of behaviour?
[Chalmers on Ryle]
|
2568
|
Beliefs aren't tied to particular behaviours
[Geach]
|
3460
|
Superactors and superspartans count against behaviourism
[Putnam, by Searle]
|
2591
|
Total paralysis would mean that there were mental states but no behaviour at all
[Putnam]
|
4983
|
There are no rules linking thought and behaviour, because endless other thoughts intervene
[Davidson]
|
3458
|
Mental states only relate to behaviour contingently, not necessarily
[Searle]
|
3485
|
Wanting H2O only differs from wanting water in its mental component
[Searle]
|
3370
|
What behaviour goes with mathematical beliefs?
[Kim]
|
3371
|
Behaviour depends on lots of mental states together
[Kim]
|
3372
|
Behaviour is determined by society as well as mental states
[Kim]
|
3373
|
Snakes have different pain behaviour from us
[Kim]
|
3001
|
Behaviourism has no theory of mental causation
[Fodor]
|
4990
|
The inverted spectrum idea is often regarded as an objection to behaviourism
[Kirk,R]
|
2950
|
Only logical positivists ever believed behaviourism
[Lockwood]
|
3167
|
Animals don't just respond to stimuli, they experiment
[Rey]
|
3173
|
How are stimuli and responses 'similar'?
[Rey]
|
3179
|
Behaviour is too contingent and irrelevant to be the mind
[Rey]
|
5347
|
Behaviourism notoriously has nothing to say about mental causation
[Flanagan]
|
4267
|
Conditioning may change behaviour without changing the mind
[Scruton]
|
6554
|
Two behaviourists meet. The first says,"You're fine; how am I?"
[Lycan]
|
4595
|
No mental state entails inevitable behaviour, because other beliefs or desires may intervene
[Heil]
|
6621
|
You can only identify behaviour by ascribing belief, so the behaviour can't explain the belief
[Lowe]
|
9392
|
How do behaviourists greet each other?
[Sommers,W]
|