Intentionality and Dualism

In my last post, I noted that the problem of intentionality is only a problem for naturalists. That, of course, was a mistake. It is, rather, a problem for anyone who accepts a pre-critical Kantian substance ontology.

The substance dualist must posit special properties of some ghostly substance that has a power or disposition to represent the world. The substance materialist--call her a '

The Jargon of Intentionality: Grade Inflation Again

3. Describe Brentano’s thesis about the irreducibility of intentionality, both in its original form, and as transformed by Chisholm. What problems are raised by this thesis? For instance, if Chisholm is right, what is ruled out? Describe and evaluate the various reactions to the problem of intentionality.

Our concept ‘mental state’ is associated a priori—that is, prior to actual

Professionalism in Context

Yet another interesting discussion at the Leiter Reports initiated by Jason Stanley. One thing has gone all but unmentioned: to the extent that students are hyper-professionalized these days it is because they live in an environment in which they cannot afford to be otherwise. That is the consequence of living in an "ownership" society. I am sure that if I had not grown up in SuburbUSA I would

The Gap Between Philosophy and Life

A new Philosophers' Carnival works within it. Would Robert Rauschenberg approve? (Announcement via Leiter Reports).

The Other Panpsychism

Panpsychism has lately become respectable in analytic ontology of mind. I have my doubts. For example, I would extend many of the points I raise against dual-aspect theory or Type-F Monism against it. Nevertheless, while reading through the comments in what was just, otherwise, a "run-of-the-mill" thread in a blog devoted to McDowellian epistemology, I was happy to discover the following:

Naturalism and Testaments of Faith

One thing bugged me in the Leiter Reports discussion that I did not note in that thread, as it would have been a distraction. The following counterfactual was posed as testimony to the effect that colleges that have regulations that have "differential impact" on their members are not necessarily discriminatory:

"Early in the discussion, Andrei Buckareff gave the relevantly similar case: Imagine

Discrimination Again

Perhaps my last post was a little opaque? Chalk that one up to "never post during finals week" in between grading papers. A rule that I will now violate.

The post was meant to be support for a roughly indirect consequentialist line on discrimination: laws and speech should be censured to the extent that their effect is to intimidate a minority for behaviors and beliefs that cannot be