PHIL 212 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Gilbert Ryle, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Stoicism
Philosophy of Mind 9.05.17 Lecture Notes – Behaviorism and Identity Theory
- No single version of behaviorism
- Behaviorism refers to something different in philosophy and psychology
- Logical (or Philosophical) Behaviorism: a view about the meaning of mental state terms, psychological
expressions
- Methodological (or Psychological) Behaviorism – view about how psychology ought to be conducted as
a science
- Both views emphasize the role of behavior in studying the mind
- 3 thinkers associated with philosophical behaviorism: Carl Hempel, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Gilbert Ryle
Logical Behaviorism
- Every meaningful psychological expression can be defined in terms of behavioral expressions (i.e.
expressions referring to overt behavioral phenomenon)
- Ma is i pai = Ma is epessig pai ehaio
o The behavior is not a symptom of the pain, but the pain behavior expression is pain
- Max exhibits certain types of pain behaviors (wincing, groaning, etc.)
- If ou a Ma if he is i pai, he ould sa es
- For Stoics, eve if ou’e ot ehiitig pai ehaios, ou ould e disposed to ehiit pai ehaio
- Animal pain behavior is different from humans
- Also problematic: when trying to find the outward behavior corresponding to belief
- Motivations for logical behaviorism
o Logial ehaioists did’t like the Catesia idea that etal state tes efeed to piate
inner mental happenings because this would make mental state ascriptions unverifiable
o If pai efes to soe piate ie state, ou ould ee e sue hether the statement
Ma is i pai is tue o ot
o They get around this problem by claiming that mental state terms instead refer to overt
behavior
o Ho a e ouiate these oepts i ou laguage if the do’t hae a lea a of
being verified
- The Beetle in the Box example
o If the od eetle is goig to hae soe sot of eaig i ouiatio, then it must be
verifiable
- Hepel’s Aguet pg 69, Ki
o Premise 1: people do’t eall susie to this elief o
o Premise 3: brain scans
- Two objections to logical behaviorism
o 1. Super-Spartan Objection: someone could be in pain without exhibiting pain behavior
▪ Behaviorists get around this problem with dispositions
▪ Under the right circumstances, the person would exhibit pain behaviors – still iffy
o 2. Actor Objection: an actor could exhibit pain behavior without actually being in pain
theefoe, ehiitig pai ehaio is’t suffiiet fo soeoe’s eig i pai
▪ Only way to defend is say that there are subtle differences between real and fake pain
behaviors
- Ontological: what exists (Cartesian dualism)
o Logical behaviorism is not straightforwardly ontological
- From logical to ontological behaviorism
o LB – view about the meaning of words, not about what really exists
o Some radical LB will go further to deny the existence of our inner mental lives
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Document Summary
Philosophy of mind 9. 05. 17 lecture notes behaviorism and identity theory. Behaviorism refers to something different in philosophy and psychology. Logical (or philosophical) behaviorism: a view about the meaning of mental state terms, psychological expressions. Methodological (or psychological) behaviorism view about how psychology ought to be conducted as a science. Both views emphasize the role of behavior in studying the mind. 3 thinkers associated with philosophical behaviorism: carl hempel, ludwig wittgenstein, gilbert ryle. If (cid:455)ou (cid:272)a(cid:374) ma(cid:454) if he is i(cid:374) pai(cid:374), he (cid:449)ould sa(cid:455) (cid:862)(cid:455)es(cid:863) Max exhibits certain types of pain behaviors (wincing, groaning, etc. ) For stoics, eve(cid:374) if (cid:455)ou"(cid:396)e (cid:374)ot e(cid:454)hi(cid:271)iti(cid:374)g pai(cid:374) (cid:271)eha(cid:448)io(cid:396)s, (cid:455)ou (cid:449)ould (cid:271)e disposed to e(cid:454)hi(cid:271)it pai(cid:374) (cid:271)eha(cid:448)io(cid:396) Animal pain behavior is different from humans. Also problematic: when trying to find the outward behavior corresponding to belief. Motivations for logical behaviorism: logi(cid:272)al (cid:271)eha(cid:448)io(cid:396)ists did(cid:374)"t like the ca(cid:396)tesia(cid:374) idea that (cid:373)e(cid:374)tal state te(cid:396)(cid:373)s (cid:396)efe(cid:396)(cid:396)ed to p(cid:396)i(cid:448)ate inner mental happenings because this would make mental state ascriptions unverifiable.