Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Necessary Existents', 'Science without Numbers' and 'In a Critical Condition'

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18. Thought / C. Content / 9. Conceptual Role Semantics
Content can't be causal role, because causal role is decided by content [Fodor]
     Full Idea: Functional role semantics wants to analyze the content of a belief in terms of its inferential (causal) relations; but that seems the wrong way round. The content of a belief determines its causal role.
     From: Jerry A. Fodor (In a Critical Condition [2000], Ch. 6)
     A reaction: This is one of my favourite ideas, which keeps coming to mind when considering functional accounts of mental life. The buck of explanation must, however, stop somewhere.