back to ideas for this text


Single Idea 4984

[from 'Mind and Body' by Robert Kirk, in 17. Mind and Body / E. Mind as Physical / 3. Eliminativism ]

Full Idea

All psychological statements which are meaningful, that is to say, which are in principle verifiable, are translatable into propositions which do not involve psychological concepts, but only the concepts of physics.

Gist of Idea

All meaningful psychological statements can be translated into physics

Source

Robert Kirk (Mind and Body [2003], §3.8)

Book Reference

Kirk,Robert: 'Mind and Body' [Acumen 2003], p.60


A Reaction

This shows how eliminativist behaviourism arises out of logical positivism (by only allowing what is verifiable). The simplest objection: we can't verify the mental states of others, because they are private, but they are still the best explanation.