more from Jerry A. Fodor

Single Idea 3012

[catalogued under 18. Thought / C. Content / 10. Causal Semantics]

Full Idea

If thoughts have their causal roles in virtue of their contents, then two thoughts with identical contents ought to be identical in their causal roles.

Gist of Idea

Do identical thoughts have identical causal roles?

Source

Jerry A. Fodor (Psychosemantics [1987], p.140)

Book Reference

Fodor,Jerry A.: 'Psychosemantics' [MIT 1993], p.140


A Reaction

A pencil would presumably have the same causal role if it wrote a love poem or hate mail. But a pencil is also good for scratching your back. 'Causal role' can be a rather vacuous idea.