more from 'Eliminative Materialism and Prop. Attitudes' by Paul M. Churchland

Single Idea 4988

[catalogued under 17. Mind and Body / E. Mind as Physical / 3. Eliminativism]

Full Idea

It may well be that completed neuroscience will not include a reduction of folk psychology, but why should that be a reason to regard it as false? It would only be a reason if irreducibility entailed that they could not possibly both be true.

Gist of Idea

Folk psychology may not be reducible, but that doesn't make it false

Source

comment on Paul M. Churchland (Eliminative Materialism and Prop. Attitudes [1981]) by Robert Kirk - Mind and Body §3.9

Book Reference

Kirk,Robert: 'Mind and Body' [Acumen 2003], p.64


A Reaction

If all our behaviour had been explained by a future neuro-science, this might not falsify folk psychology, but it would totally marginalise it. It is still possible that dewdrops are placed on leaves by fairies, but this is no longer a hot theory.