Cognitive Science and Folk Psychology

The Right Frame of Mind

Folk psychology, our everyday talk of beliefs, desires, and mental events, has long been compared with the technical language of cognitive science. Does folk psychology provide a correct account of the mental causes of our behavior? Or must our everyday terms ultimately be replaced by a language developed from computational models and neurobiology? Such questions, which penetrate the heart of philosophy and psychology, are addressed in this broad-ranging and accessible book. Cognitive Science and Folk Psychology overviews the key literature in the field including the seminal work of Fodor and Churchland before exploring the classic frame problem to assess the future prospects of cognitive science. The scope of the frame problem touching on debates around connectionism, non-demonstrative reasoning, representationalism, and the language of thought, questions the very possibility of a truly artificial intelligence. Cognitive Science and Fold Psychology offers an invaluable survey of some of the most exciting debates in the field today. It will be essential reading for students and academics in cognitive science, cognitive psychology, artificial intelligence, and philosophy.