Putnam points out that if we imagine Twin Earth, where 'water' is made up of XYZ molecules instead of H20 molecules, then the meaning of the word 'water' is different there than it is here. Burge notes that if 'arthritis' meant inflammation in joints and other tissues in Twin Earth, then the belief "I have arthritis in my thigh" is true there even though it is false here. Both these examples seem to indicate that the meanings of our words are not determined by what is going on inside our own minds.
Chalmers and Clark propose a theory that even your own cognition is not happening entirely in your own mind. If there is something external to you that aids in a cognitive process, such as a calculator or a notebook, and if that thing is reliably coupled to you so that you can use it normally, then that external thing is part of your cognitive process and hence part of your mind.
No comments:
Post a Comment