Behaviourism

This chapter examines some varieties of behaviourism, together with behaviouristically influenced ideas in general. Behaviourism in psychology was a methodological project aimed at making psychology scientific. Although behaviourism is unpromising as an account of the nature of sensations and consci...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inMind and Body pp. 99 - 120
Main Author Kirk, Robert
Format Book Chapter
LanguageEnglish
Published United Kingdom Routledge 2003
Taylor & Francis Group
Edition1
Subjects
PHILOSOPHY
Individual Mental States
Tarskian Truth Theory
Pantomime Horse
Radical Interpretation
Turing Test
Vice Versa
Galen Strawson
Intentional States
Languageless Creatures
Weather Watchers
Mind Body Problem
Behavioural Dispositions
Glove Puppet
Design Stance
Systems Functional Design
Conversational Intelligence
Folk Psychology
Make Up
Non-conceptual Content
Searles Chinese Room Argument
Landscape Vocabulary
Intentional Stance
Ramsey Sentence
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:This chapter examines some varieties of behaviourism, together with behaviouristically influenced ideas in general. Behaviourism in psychology was a methodological project aimed at making psychology scientific. Although behaviourism is unpromising as an account of the nature of sensations and conscious experience generally, and therefore as an approach to a general solution to the mind-body problem, it looks promising as the basis for dealing with one large component of that problem: intentionality. Block's main argument against behaviourism starts from considering the famous 'Turing Test'. Galen Strawson's Weather Watchers raise difficulties, however, and have the important implication that behavioural dispositions are not necessary for being a subject of mental states. Behaviourism continues to offer valuable insights into the relations between mental states and behaviour, yet still appears to fall short of supplying a really satisfactory approach to mind-body problems.
ISBN:190268379X
1902683803
9781902683805
9781902683799
DOI:10.4324/9781315710549-5