more from Jerry A. Fodor

Single Idea 2503

[catalogued under 15. Nature of Minds / A. Nature of Mind / 1. Mind / b. Purpose of mind]

Full Idea

Empirical approaches to cognition say the human mind is a blank slate at birth; experiences write on the slate, and association extracts and extrapolates trends from the record of experience. The mind is an image of statistical regularities of the world.

Clarification

'Cognition' is the ability to know things.

Gist of Idea

Empirical approaches see mind connections as mirrors/maps of reality

Source

Jerry A. Fodor (In a Critical Condition [2000], Ch.17)

Book Reference

Fodor,Jerry A.: 'In Critical Condition' [MIT 2000], p.203


A Reaction

The 'blank slate' is an exaggeration. The mind at least has the tools to make associations. He tries to make it sound implausible, but the word 'extrapolates' contains a wealth of possibilities that could build into a plausible theory.