Implication and reasoning in mental state attribution: Comments on Jane Heal's theory of co-cognition |
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Authors: | Matthew Lockard |
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Institution: | 1. Matthew Lockard is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Southern Methodist University.mlockard@smu.edu |
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Abstract: | Simulation theory explains third-person mental state attribution in terms of an attributor's ability to imaginatively mimic other people's mental processes. Jane Heal's version of simulation theory, which she calls a theory of “co-cognition,” maintains that one can know and can predict others’ beliefs primarily by thinking about what their antecedent beliefs imply. I argue that Heal's account of belief attribution elides crucial differences between reasoning and merely discovering relations among propositions. |
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Keywords: | Implication Reasoning Simulation |
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