more from John Searle

Single Idea 3505

[catalogued under 22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / b. Successful function]

Full Idea

If the only thing that interested us about the heart was that it made a thumping noise, we would have a completely different conception of its "functioning", and correspondingly of heart disease.

Gist of Idea

The function of a heart depends on what we want it to do

Source

John Searle (The Rediscovery of the Mind [1992], Ch.10.III)

Book Reference

Searle,John R.: 'The Rediscovery of the Mind' [MIT 1999], p.238


A Reaction

Ditto if we were only interested in ears as support for earrings, but that would seriously miss the point of ears. The intrinsic function is the reason for its existence.