Single Idea 13592

[catalogued under 11. Knowledge Aims / A. Knowledge / 4. Belief / a. Beliefs]

Full Idea

Beliefs have been ascribed to machines, in support of a mechanistic philosophy, and I share this attitude.

Gist of Idea

Beliefs can be ascribed to machines

Source

Willard Quine (Intensions Revisited [1977], p.123)

Book Reference

Quine,Willard: 'Theories and Things' [Harvard 1981], p.123


A Reaction

[He cites Raymond Nelson] One suspects that this is Quine's latent behaviourism speaking. It strikes me as a crass misuse of 'belief' to ascribe it to a simple machine like a thermostat.