Behaviourism
Behaviourism attempts to reduce mentality to behaviour. According to this theory, mental states are nothing more than behaviour or behavioural dispositions.
The belief that it is raining is thus taken to be identical with a tendency to carry an umbrella when going outside, to collect washing from the line if any has been left there, etc, etc.
One difficulty with this theory is that it appears to be unable to distinguish between real mental states and pretend mental states, as both involve precisely the same behavioural dispositions. The problem of pretense is that there does seem to be a genuine difference here for which behaviourism fails to allow.
Two thought-experiments are designed to show more sharply that mentality and behavioural dispositions can come appart: zombies and Super-Spartans. Zombies are beings whose behaviour dispositions are identical to ours, but who lack our mental states; Super-Spartans are beings whose mental states are identical to ours, but who lack our behavioural dispositions.
Behaviourism is now pretty much undefended, but remains an important historical position, significant in the development of the philosophy of mind.
|
