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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 Ref
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.
| 7518 | If folk psychology gives a network of causal laws, that fits neatly with functionalism [Churchland,PM] |
| 7520 | Folk psychology never makes any progress, and is marginalised by modern science [Churchland,PM] |
| 7519 | Many mental phenomena are totally unexplained by folk psychology [Churchland,PM] |