Single Idea 10839

[catalogued under 18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 1. Abstract Thought]

Full Idea

One could train a dog to bark only when a bell rang and a light shone without presupposing that it possessed the concept of conjunction.

Gist of Idea

You can't infer a dog's abstract concepts from its behaviour

Source

Michael Dummett (Truth [1959], p.235)

Book Reference

'The Nature of Truth', ed/tr. Lynch, Michael P. [MIT 2001], p.235