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Single Idea 3975

[from 'Jerry A. Fodor on himself' by Jerry A. Fodor, in 18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 4. Folk Psychology ]

Full Idea

Folk psychology is primarily intentional explanation; it's the idea that people's behaviour can be explained by reference to the contents of their beliefs and desires.

Clarification

'Intentional' states are 'about' something, with meaning and content

Gist of Idea

Folk psychology explains behaviour by reference to intentional states like belief and desire

Source

Jerry A. Fodor (Jerry A. Fodor on himself [1994], p.292)

Book Reference

'A Companion to the Philosophy of Mind', ed/tr. Guttenplan,Samuel [Blackwell 1995], p.292


A Reaction

Sounds good. To reject folk psychology (as reductivists tend to) is to reject the existence of significant intentional states which have causal properties