Mental causation without the language of thought

Frank Jackson

pp. 303-318

in: Kees Doets, Daniele Mundici (eds), Structures and norms in science, Berlin, Springer, 1997

Abstract

Here is a familiar kind of story. Harry believes that there is coffee to the right and beer to the left. His belief that there is coffee to the right explains, when combined with certain desires, his moving right; his belief that there is beer to the left explains, when combined with certain other desires, his moving left. The beliefs play different causal explanatory roles. Accordingly, we need to acknowledge individual beliefs conceived of as distinct, presumably internal, states of subjects that are thus able to play distinct causal roles—or so it seems.