13. Wide Functionalism

Author: Harman, Gilbert

Source: Reasoning, Meaning, and Mind, July 1999 , pp. 235-244(10)

Publisher: Oxford Scholarship Online Monographs

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Abstract:

Psychological explanation is a kind of functional explanation, like some biological explanation, where the relevant functions tend to have to do with perceiving and acting in relation to the environment. Pain serves as a kind of alarm system; perception allows an organism to get information about the environment etc. Although there are defenders of a narrow, more solipsistic psychological functionalism, the dominant trend has involved the wider version. In any event, the wider functionalism is clearly more plausible and methodological solipsism in psychology is incoherent.

Keywords: perception; methodological solipsism; functionalism; psychological explanation; action

Document Type: Research article

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