Functionalism, realism and levels of being

John Heil

doi:10.4324/9780203996379-17

Functionalism, realism and levels of being

John Heil

Department of Philosophy

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The writings of Hilary Putnam have played a leading role in shaping current mainstream conceptions of the mind. ‘Psychological Predicates’ (1967) and the subsequent mass of literature on functionalism, taught us that states of mind are functional states, mental properties functional properties.1 From ‘The Meaning of “Meaning�?' (1975b) and Reason, Truth and History (1981) followed by an equally massive outpouring of articles and books by others, we learned that certain states of mind, those with ‘intentional content’, depend on something more than the intrinsic physical character of agents to whom they are ascribed. No one here needs reminding how influential both these doctrines have proven to be.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Hilary Putnam
Subtitle of host publication	Pragmatism and Realism
Publisher	Taylor and Francis
Pages	128-142
Number of pages	15
ISBN (Electronic)	0203996372, 9781134520213
ISBN (Print)	0415256054, 9780415256056
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203996379-17
State	Published - Jan 1 2012

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Functionalism, realism and levels of being

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