Plasticity Of Mind Research Articles

Beyond Eliminative Materialism: Some Unnoticed Implications of Churchland’s Pragmatic Pluralism

Paul Churchland's epistemology contains a tension between two positions, which I will call pragmatic pluralism and eliminative materialism. Pragmatic pluralism became predominant as Churchland's epistemology became more neurocomputationally inspired, which saved him from the skepticism implicit in certain passages of the theory of reduction he outlined in Scientific Realism and the Plasticity of Mind. However, once he replaces eliminativism with a neurologically inspired pragmatic pluralism, Churchland 1) cannot claim that folk psychology might be a false theory, in any significant sense 2) cannot claim that the concepts of Folk psychology might be empty of extension and lack reference. 3) cannot sustain Churchland's criticism of Dennett's intentional stance . 4) cannot claim to be a form of scientific realism, in the sense of believing that what science describes is somehow realer that what other conceptual systems describe.

The end of plasticity

Paul Churchland has become famous for holding three controversial and interrelated doctrines which he put forward in early papers and in his first book. Scientific Realism and the Plasticity of Mind (1979): eliminative materialism, the doctrine of the plasticity of perception, and a general network theory of language. In his latest book, The Engine of Reason, the Seat of the Soul (1995), Churchland aims to make some results of connectionist neuroscience available to the general public and explores the philosophical and social consequences that neuroscience is likely to have. I argue that these results of neuroscience refute the three doctrines that Churchland advocated in his earlier works. Yet youthful dreams do not die easily and Churchland is reluctant to relinquish his early views.

The absolute network theory of language and traditional epistemology: On the philosophical foundations of Paul Churchland's scientific realism1

Paul Churchland's philosophical work enjoys an increasing popularity. His imaginative papers on cognitive science and the philosophy of psychology are widely discussed. Scientific Realism and the Plasticity of Mind (1979), his major book, is an important contribution to the debate on realism. Churchland provides us with the intellectual tools for constructing a unified scientific Weltanschauung. His network theory of language implies a provocative view of the relation between science and common sense. This paper contains a critical examination of Churchland's network theory of language, which is the foundation of his philosophy. It is argued that the network theory should be seen as deriving its point from traditional empiricism. The network theory enables the empiricist to resist the phenomenalistic temptations inherent in his position, and to build a realist philosophy on the basis of the representative theory of perception. This interpretation is confirmed by the fact that the representative theory is ...

Biologie se uniekheid as substraat vir die tipies menslike funksionering

The biological similarities between humans and apes are great but they should not obscure the differences. Some differences are of such great consequence that man should be considered truly unique kind of organism with a marvellous plasticity of mind. All of the uniquely human traits are adaptations to the environments in which man evolved; these Include profound modifications of anatomy, physiology and behaviour. The morphological differences between man and his nearest relatives are very conspicuous. The form of the skeleton is adapted to fully erect posture and bipedal locomotion. The pelvis is broadened to provide adequate attachment for the powerful striding muscles. The transformation of the tail vertebrae is unique among the vertebrates. The joint for the neck is in the middel of the base of the skull. The hands are prehensile, with a large and strongly opposable thumb. The brain is uniquely large in proportion to the body and has a particularly large and complex cerebrum; the cerebral cortex contains the cent res for memory and complex computation. The enlarged brain requires prolonged infant dependency and high quality nutrition. Differences between humans and animals are grea tes t in the realm of behaviour: Ability to make tools (associated with bipedalism); ability to anticipate the future; development of symbolic communication (associated with expansion of cortex). Direct evidence of man's language capabilities comes form the anatomy of the modern human vocal tract. Man is the only species that succeeded in creating a truly productive language, and it is the scaffolding of human culture and civilization.

Scientific Realism and the Plasticity of Mind. By P. M. Churchland. (Pp. 158; £6.95.) Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. 1986.

Scientific Realism and the Plasticity of Mind. By P. M. Churchland. (Pp. 158; £6.95.) Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. 1986.

Promoting flexibility in young children’s mind within the family — A cross cultural view

The current presentation describes a model for understanding specific criteria within adult-child interactions effecting flexibility or plasticity of mind in young children. Through the suggested approach one can identify a series of factors which are necessary and sufficient to turn any adult-child interaction into a learning experience for that child. The proposed approach is particularly suitable for cross-cultural adaptation since the criteria on which it is based are independent of specific content, context or culture. An examination of the cause and effect relations between parental behaviours reflecting the above criteria and measures of developmental outcome are presented based on results of two longitudinal follow-up studies and one intervention study with high risk low SES children.

Sensation, Theory and Meaning

One way to judge whether sensations are merely part of the causal order and not part of the cognitive or epistemic order is to determine whether or not sensations control to any extent the meaning of our observation terms. Should our observation terms have their meanings even in part determined by sensations then this would seem to be evidence that sensations are of the cognitive order. In a recent and noteworthy book, Scientific Realism and the Plasticity of Mind, Paul Churchland offers a development of the Sellarsian idea that sensations play a merely causal role in perception. Churchland also cites Paul Feyerabend, whose adaptation of the Sellarsian position he finds more to his purpose. The central argument of Churchland's book and the one which will be most particularly dealt with herein is an attempt to show that facts about sensations are totally irrelevant to the meaning of observation terms, even to the meaning of common observation terms such as 'hot,' 'cold,' 'white,' and 'black.' It is Churchland's contention, then, that facts about the intrinsic nature of sensations (as opposed to facts about their roles in causal chains) are semantically irrelevant.

Scientific Realism and the Plasticity of Mind

Scientific Realism and the Plasticity of Mind

Scientific Realism and the Plasticity of Mind.

Scientific Realism and the Plasticity of Mind.

Scientific Realism and the Plasticity of Mind.

Preface 1. Introduction 2. The plasticity of perception 3. The plasticity of understanding 4. Our self-conception and the mind/body problem 5. Sentential epistemologies and the natural science of epistemic engines Bibliography Index.

Scientific Realism and the Plasticity of Mind.

Philosophical BooksVolume 22, Issue 3 p. 163-165 Scientific Realism and the Plasticity of Mind. J. M. Hinton, J. M. Hinton worcester college oxfordSearch for more papers by this author J. M. Hinton, J. M. Hinton worcester college oxfordSearch for more papers by this author First published: July 1981 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0149.1981.tb01010.xRead the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume22, Issue3July 1981Pages 163-165 RelatedInformation

Scientific Realism and the Plasticity of Mind

Scientific Realism and the Plasticity of Mind

Scientific Realism and the Plasticity of Mind.

Journal Article Book Reviews Get access Scientific Realism and the Plasticity of Mind. By Paul M. Churchland. [Cambridge Studies in Philosophy.] ( Cambridge University Press. 1979. Pp. x + 158. Price £8.60.) R. A. Sharpe R. A. Sharpe Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The Philosophical Quarterly, Volume 30, Issue 120, July 1980, Pages 268–269, https://doi.org/10.2307/2219260 Published: 01 July 1980

The Social Problem and the Present War

An American publicist2 recently predicted that the end of our present social order would come before I930. He points out that many of the social tendencies of the present are strikingly like those which preceded the French Revolution. He cites the mental opacity of our ruling classes as in many respects similar to the stupidity of the old French nobility when they were faced by the necessity of social readjustment in their time. The parallel between recent social unrest and that which preceded the storm of the French Revolution would probably be assented to by nearly all students of social history. Indeed, it requires no profound scientific mind to see the parallel. The blindness and ultraconservatism of many in our privileged classes on the one hand, the fanatic radicalism and one-sidedness of many of the leaders of the non-privileged on the other, would breed trouble in any social order. Unless plasticity of mind and a sense of social obligation can be instilled into our socially fortunate classes, and broadminded and constructive views shall dominate the leaders of our masses, western civilization is indeed brewing for the world something worse than a French Revolution. The problem of our civilization is something more than the mere threatened overthrow of existing political and industrial institutions. This the present European war (I9I4) makes evident. The problem before us is not how to avoid political revolution, but rather how to avoid the decay and disintegration of civilization itself. Many writers have recently told us that our civilization is on the wane, and many things might be cited in the present European war to show that such a conclusion is no mere

The Social Problem and the Present War

An American publicist2 recently predicted that the end of our present social order would come before I930. He points out that many of the social tendencies of the present are strikingly like those which preceded the French Revolution. He cites the mental opacity of our ruling classes as in many respects similar to the stupidity of the old French nobility when they were faced by the necessity of social readjustment in their time. The parallel between recent social unrest and that which preceded the storm of the French Revolution would probably be assented to by nearly all students of social history. Indeed, it requires no profound scientific mind to see the parallel. The blindness and ultraconservatism of many in our privileged classes on the one hand, the fanatic radicalism and one-sidedness of many of the leaders of the non-privileged on the other, would breed trouble in any social order. Unless plasticity of mind and a sense of social obligation can be instilled into our socially fortunate classes, and broadminded and constructive views shall dominate the leaders of our masses, western civilization is indeed brewing for the world something worse than a French Revolution. The problem of our civilization is something more than the mere threatened overthrow of existing political and industrial institutions. This the present European war (I9I4) makes evident. The problem before us is not how to avoid political revolution, but rather how to avoid the decay and disintegration of civilization itself. Many writers have recently told us that our civilization is on the wane, and many things might be cited in the present European war to show that such a conclusion is no mere