From Folk Psychology to Cognitive Science: The Case Against Belief

276 Pages·1985·4.38 MB·English

by  Stephen Stich

Contents
Acknowledgxmie nts
Chap1t er
TwoC ultuarnedts h Per omiosfCe o gniStciiveen 1c e
PART I
FolPks ychology
Chap2t er
TheT heoTrhye-or1y3
1.F roDme scatroDt aevsiL de wis1 3
2.B elainedtf h Teh eory-ThSeoomPryer: o ble2m3s
Chap3t er
BeliaesMf esn tSaeln ten2c9e s
1.P rotosacnideC nocnec epAtnuaally s2i9s
2.S omFee atuorfte hsCe o ncoefpB te lie3f0
3.S enteinntc heHsee ad3 5
4.E xplaitnhiFena gca tbso Buetl ie3f8
5.T heL anguoafTg heo ugh4t0
6.S enteTnycpaeen dM entTaolk en4 3
Chap4t er
SomEev ideAngcaei Nnasrtr Coawu sAaclc ouonfBt esl i5e1f
1.H olis5m3
2.R efere6n0c e
3.I rrelevanDti fCfaeurse6an6lc es
Chatpe5r
A ContTehneto orfy Bel7i3e f
1.C ontMeenntt Saeln teTnhceeo ri7e4s
2.E laboraant'diR oenvsi si7o6n s
3.T esttihnTegh eoArgya itnhsFeta ct9s2
4.A bsuBredl ie9f8s
Contents
Acknowledgxmie nts
Chap1t er
TwoC ultuarnedts hP er omiosfCe o gniStciiveen 1c e
PART I
FolPks ychology
Chap2t er
TheT heoTrhye-or1y3
1.F roDme scatroDt aevsiL de wis1 3
2.B elainedtf h Teh eory-ThSeoomPryer: o ble2m3s
Chap3t er
BeliaesMf esn tSaeln ten2c9e s
1.P rotosacnideC nocnec epAtnuaally s2i9s
2.S omFee atuorfte hsCe o ncoefpB te lie3f0
3.S enteinntc heHsee ad3 5
4.E xplaitnhiFena gca tbso Buetl ie3f8
5.T heL anguoafTg heo ugh4t0
6.S enteTnycpaeen dM entTaolk en4 3
Chap4t er
SomEev ideAngcaei Nnasrtr Coawu sAaclc ouonfBt esl i5e1f
1.H olis5m3
2.R efere6n0c e
3.I rrelevanDti fCfaeurse6an6lc es
Chatpe5r
A ContTehneto orfy Bel7i3e f
1.C ontMeenntt Saeln teTnhceeo ri7e4s
2.E laboraant'diR oenvsi si7o6n s
3.T esttihnTegh eoArgya itnhsFeta ct9s2
4.A bsuBredl ie9f8s
Contenitxs
viiiC ontents
Chap1t1e r
5.A nimBaell ie1f0s4
TheF utuorfFe o lPks ychol2o2g1y
6.S omCeo nclus1i0o6n s
1.A ModifPiaendg loPsrsoisapne 2c2t1
Chap6t er 2.C oulItdT urOnu tT haTth eArreeN oS ucThh inagsBs e lie2f2s8?
DeD icatnadD eR eT:h eM ytohf A mbigui1t1y1 3.T heI nstrumeVniteoawflF i oslPtks ychol2o4g2y
1.T hAer gumfeonArtm bigui1t1y2
Notes2 47
2.I ndefDiensictrei pt1i1o8n s
3.B elSieenft ewnictehsSo yustt emAamtbiicg ui1t2y0 Referen2c5e5s
Index26 3
PART II
CogniStciiveean ncdte h Ceo ncepBte loife f
Chap7t er
TheS troRnegp resenTthaetoioroftyn h aMeli nd1 27
1.C ogniGteinveer aliCzoautcihioenTnd es r mosfC onten1t2 8
2.S omRee astoonB seS uspicaibootuuhstSe t roRnTgM 135
3.P roblPeomssbe ydI deoloSgiimcialla r1i3t7y
4.P roblPeomssbe ydR eferSeinmciel ar1i4t5y
5.P roblPeomssbe ydC ausal-PSaitmtielranr1 i4t7y
Chap8t er
TheS yntaTchteioocrf ty h Mei nd1 49
1.T heS TM ViosfCi oognn itive 1T4h9e ories
2.T hAed vantoafSg TeMsT heori1e5s7
3.M ethodolSoogliicpaasnlidt s hmAe u tonoPmryi nci1p6l0e
4.D oS TMT heorMiiesIssm porGteannetr aliz1a7t0i ons?
Chap9t er
The WReeapkr esenTthaetoioroftyn h aMeli nd1 85
1.S yntaGcetniecr aliaznadSt eimoannst iIcnatlelrypS rteattee1ds8 5
2.I nterpFroedtaoinrndI g n terptrheWete ianRkgT M 187
3.T hAer gumfernotCm o gniPtsiyvceh ol1o9g2y
4.I nterpIrnetteirSnntgaa ltt oeE sx plIanitne rpBreehtaevdi1 o9r4
5.T hAer gumefnrtoRsme liabainldLi itmyiK tneodw led1g9e8
6.T heC asAeg aitnhsWete aRkT M 207
Chap1t0e r
Wiltlh Ceo nceopfFt osl Pks ychoFlionagdP y l aicnCe o gnitive
Scienc2e0?9
1.F olPks ychoIlsao D geyg enerRaetsienaPgrr cohg ra2m1 0
2.T heI nfraliCnagtuaissttri2oc1p 4h e
3.T heMu ltipolfiM ceinttSyat la te2s1 7
Contenitxs
viiiC ontents
Chap1t1e r
5.A nimBaell ie1f0s4
TheF utuorfFe o lPks ychol2o2g1y
6.S omCeo nclus1i0o6n s
1.A ModifPiaendg loPsrsoisapne 2c2t1
Chap6t er 2.C oulItdT urOnu tT haTth eArreeN oS ucThh inagsBs e lie2f2s8?
DeD icatnadD eR eT:h eM ytohf A mbigui1t1y1 3.T heI nstrumeVniteoawflF i oslPtks ychol2o4g2y
1.T hAer gumfeonArtm bigui1t1y2
Notes2 47
2.I ndefDiensictrei pt1i1o8n s
3.B elSieenft ewnictehsSo yustt emAamtbiicg ui1t2y0 Referen2c5e5s
Index26 3
PART II
CogniStciiveean ncdte h Ceo ncepBte loife f
Chap7t er
TheS troRnegp resenTthaetoioroftyn h aMeli nd1 27
1.C ogniGteinveer aliCzoautcihioenTnd es r mosfC onten1t2 8
2.S omRee astoonB seS uspicaibootuuhstSe t roRnTgM 135
3.P roblPeomssbe ydI deoloSgiimcialla r1i3t7y
4.P roblPeomssbe ydR eferSeinmciel ar1i4t5y
5.P roblPeomssbe ydC ausal-PSaitmtielranr1 i4t7y
Chap8t er
TheS yntaTchteioocrf ty h Mei nd1 49
1.T heS TM ViosfCi oognn itive 1T4h9e ories
2.T hAed vantoafSg TeMsT heori1e5s7
3.M ethodolSoogliicpaasnlidt s hmAe u tonoPmryi nci1p6l0e
4.D oS TMT heorMiiesIssm porGteannetr aliz1a7t0i ons?
Chap9t er
The WReeapkr esenTthaetoioroftyn h aMeli nd1 85
1.S yntaGcetniecr aliaznadSt eimoannst iIcnatlelrypS rteattee1ds8 5
2.I nterpFroedtaoinrndI g n terptrheWete ianRkgT M 187
3.T hAer gumfernotCm o gniPtsiyvceh ol1o9g2y
4.I nterpIrnetteirSnntgaa ltt oeE sx plIanitne rpBreehtaevdi1 o9r4
5.T hAer gumefnrtoRsme liabainldLi itmyiK tneodw led1g9e8
6.T heC asAeg aitnhsWete aRkT M 207
Chap1t0e r
Wiltlh Ceo nceopfFt osl Pks ychoFlionagdP y l aicnCe o gnitive
Scienc2e0?9
1.F olPks ychoIlsao D geyg enerRaetsienaPgrr cohg ra2m1 0
2.T heI nfraliCnagtuaissttri2oc1p 4h e
3.T heMu ltipolfiM ceinttSyat la te2s1 7
Acknowledgments
Iti so ftneon emaastyt teosr a jyu wshte anp rojbeecagtnM .y b est
gueissts h attho insse t aratbeodtu etyn e aargsio n ad iscugsrsoiuopn
att hUen iverosfMi itcyh iIgnat nh.ag tr ouBpr iLaona arn dIw ere
oftaetln o ggerohveeacrdo sm monspesnysceh oalnodbg eyf,o trhee
groudpi sbaInr deesdo ltvowe rdia t eb ook osuemtty t isnoigfdt eh e
stoDruyr.i tnhg1e 9 78-1a9c7a9d eymeiaacrF ,u lbrFieglhlto was hip,
grafnrto tmh Aem eriCcoaunn ocfiL le arnSeodc ieatnide sht,oh se­
pitaolfti htUeyn iverosfBi rtiysm taodlie pt o ssfiobmrle et od evote
thbee tptaerortf ay eatrot hper ojWehcitil.neB risIht aotdlh bee nefit
ofa lmodsatid liys cuswsiitDohan nsiD eeln naentAdtn drew Woodfield.
Duritnhga t Iyw eraorta le o npga pecarl ledt h"AeOs nc ripotfi on
Contewnhti,hc"ah b se erne woriknectdho a p4ta enr5ds tohfvi osl ume.
Chapt6ee vro lveda nuf nrpoumb lpiashpweerdri twtietnDh e nnett
anpdr esetnot ceoadn feraettn hcUeen iveorsfBi rtiysT thoebl u.lo kf
the manwuaswscr riitpdttue rnit nh1ge9 81-1a9c8a2d eymeiawcrh ,e n
ag rafnrto tmh Nea tioSncaileF nocuen daatniadon an w arfdr otmh e
UniverosfMi atryy lparnodv iad edy elaarr gferleyoe ft eaching
responsibilities.
Whilweo rwka si np rogresasn,dp ibeicoteftss h beo owke rper e­
sentteocd o nferaenndcc oelsl oaqtSu tiiar Ulniinvge rWsairtwyi,c k
UniverSsti.t yD,aU vniidv'esrC soiltlyeT geAelv, i Uvn ivertshiet y,
UniverosfHi atiyfS at,a nfUonridv ersiUtnyi,v etrohsfei tVyi rginia,
Yale Universityo,fN otrhtCeha rUonlaiitCvn heaar psHeiiltlt ylh ,e
CitUyn iversNietwYy o roTkfu, f Utnsi versity, otfhM ea nU­niversity
itoabnatd,h Uen iveorfsA iroitnzy aIh. a vbee nefiinct oeudn tless ways
frotmh vea rying roefta hcevtsaiero inaosuu dsi eInh caevbsee. n efited
alsforo m atdhveia cnecd r itiocfni usmme rforuise anndcdso lleagues,
incluNdeidBn lgo Jcakm,Ce asr gPialter,Ci hcuirac hPlaaunCldh ,u rch­
lanBdoD, a hlbDoamn,iD eeln neJtetr,r y GFioldboHerar,rt m an, Mike
HarniWsihl,lL iyacmaR ni,c hNairsdb ZeetntoP,ny lysJhoysne,p h Tol­
livaenrdM, e redWiitlhl iHaamrsra.yn dB etSttya notfoT nh eM IT
Prehsasv bee ehne luplif na ll osfwo aryttssh aatra eb oavnebd e yond
the cdaultlMy y.ot fh antkoas l l.
Acknowledgments
Iti so ftneon emaastyt teosr a jyu wshte anp rojbeecagtnM .y b est
gueissts h attho insse t aratbeodtu etyn e aargsio n ad iscugsrsoiuopn
att hUen iverosfMi itcyh iIgnat nh.ag tr ouBpr iLaona arn dIw ere
oftaetln o ggerohveeacrdo sm monspesnysceh oalnodbg eyf,o trhee
groudpi sbaInr deesdo ltvowe rdia t eb ook osuemtty t isnoigfdt eh e
stoDruyr.i tnhg1e 9 78-1a9c7a9d eymeiaacrF ,u lbrFieglhlto was hip,
grafnrto tmh Aem eriCcoaunn ocfiL le arnSeodc ieatnide sht,oh se­
pitaolfti htUeyn iverosfBi rtiysm taodlie pt o ssfiobmrle et od evote
thbee tptaerortf ay eatrot hper ojWehcitil.neB risIht aotdlh bee nefit
ofa lmodsatid liys cuswsiitDohan nsiD eeln naentAdtn drew Woodfield.
Duritnhga t Iyw eraorta le o npga pecarl ledt h"AeOs nc ripotfi on
Contewnhti,hc"ah b se erne woriknectdho a p4ta enr5ds tohfvi osl ume.
Chapt6ee vro lveda nuf nrpoumb lpiashpweerdri twtietnDh e nnett
anpdr esetnot ceoadn feraettn hcUeen iveorsfBi rtiysT thoebl u.lo kf
the manwuaswscr riitpdttue rnit nh1ge9 81-1a9c8a2d eymeiawcrh ,e n
ag rafnrto tmh Nea tioSncaileF nocuen daatniadon an w arfdr otmh e
UniverosfMi atryy lparnodv iad edy elaarr gferleyoe ft eaching
responsibilities.
Whilweo rwka si np rogresasn,dp ibeicoteftss h beo owke rper e­
sentteocd o nferaenndcc oelsl oaqtSu tiiar Ulniinvge rWsairtwyi,c k
UniverSsti.t yD,aU vniidv'esrC soiltlyeT geAelv, i Uvn ivertshiet y,
UniverosfHi atiyfS at,a nfUonridv ersiUtnyi,v etrohsfei tVyi rginia,
Yale Universityo,fN otrhtCeha rUonlaiitCvn heaar psHeiiltlt ylh ,e
CitUyn iversNietwYy o roTkfu, f Utnsi versity, otfhM ea nU­niversity
itoabnatd,h Uen iveorfsA iroitnzy aIh. a vbee nefiinct oeudn tless ways
frotmh vea rying roefta hcevtsaiero inaosuu dsi eInh caevbsee. n efited
alsforo m atdhveia cnecd r itiocfni usmme rforuise anndcdso lleagues,
incluNdeidBn lgo Jcakm,Ce asr gPialter,Ci hcuirac hPlaaunCldh ,u rch­
lanBdoD, a hlbDoamn,iD eeln neJtetr,r y GFioldboHerar,rt m an, Mike
HarniWsihl,lL iyacmaR ni,c hNairsdb ZeetntoP,ny lysJhoysne,p h Tol­
livaenrdM, e redWiitlhl iHaamrsra.yn dB etSttya notfoT nh eM IT
Prehsasv bee ehne luplif na ll osfwo aryttssh aatra eb oavnebd e yond
the cdaultlMy y.ot fh antkoas l l.
xiiA cknogmwelnetds
Myd eepdeesbtat rse twoi fmJeyu, d aen,md y c hildrena,n dJ onah
Rebe.cJ cuadhea psa tiepnrtoloyft rhefeai dnd arlao fftt h mea nuscript.
Anda ltlh roefte h ehma veen duwrietdgh o ocdh emeyrl ong, solitary
sesssitoanrsai ttn hgwe o rpdr oceFsostroh rce.h ildmryep nr,e occu­
From FoPlsky cholotgoCy o gnitiSvcei ence
patiwointt hh beo ohka bse eand oubbluer dseinn,ic dtee prived them
ofb otpha terantatle natnidtoi nmo ent hceo mputer.
xiiA cknogmwelnetds
Myd eepdeesbtat rse twoi fmJeyu, d aen,md y c hildrena,n dJ onah
Rebe.cJ cuadhea psa tiepnrtoloyft rhefeai dnd arlao fftt h mea nuscript.
Anda ltlh roefte h ehma veen duwrietdgh o ocdh emeyrl ong, solitary
sesssitoanrsai ttn hgwe o rpdr oceFsostroh rce.h ildmryep nr,e occu­
From FoPlsky cholotgoCy o gnitiSvcei ence
patiwointt hh beo ohka bse eand oubbluer dseinn,ic dtee prived them
ofb otpha terantatle natnidtoi nmo ent hceo mputer.
Chapter1
Two Culturaensd tPhreo misoefC ognitive
Science
Ino uerv eryddeaayl iwnigtoshn ea notwheei rn voakv ea rioeft y
commonspesnysceh oltoegriimncsca llu 'dbienlgi' erveem'e,m'b feere'l,' ,
'thi'ndke's,'i prree''f,ie mra'g,'i fneeaa'nr,md' a ,n oyt heTrhseu. s oef
thetseer imgsso vernbeyad l oosen ektnwiootflr akr gtealcpyir ti nciples,
platitaunddpe asr,a digmsc ownhsitacis hto urottfe ftohleko ry. Fol­
lowing receInw ti lcplar tlahlci ntsei tcweof,ro klp ks ychoFlroogmy .
antiqtuoti htbeye ginonfit nhgte w entcieentthus ruycs,hy stematic
psychoalsto hgeywr aese mplotyhevedo cabuolffa orlpyks ychology.
Thosweh ot heoraibzoetudht me i nsdh artehdbe u lokft hetierr mi­
noloagnydt heciorn cepatpupaalr waittuphso etcsr,i thiicsst,o rians,
economainsidtn sd,ew eidt h otwhnge riarn dmothneornss.p eTchiea list
readien1r 9 1w0o ulbdei ne quaflalmyi tleirarrii ntW oirlylJ iaamme s's
PrincoifPp slyecsh oalnoidgn ty h neo veolfJs a mebsr'ost HheenrrB yy.
thmei ddolfte h tew entcieentthau lrtlyh hiasdc hangWeidtT.hh orn­
dikPea,v lov, aWnadtt hsbeoi nr,ot feh x perimleenatrantlih nego ry,
thveo cabuolffa orplysk ychowlaoqsgu yis teel f-conrsecnioouunscleyd .
Thfeo undoefmr osd e"rbne haviposryicshtoilco"g yt odp ervoipsoes ed
newt eramnsd contcoe pstupsiu tr ptohosefte hsef ilre dgslciinegn ce,
whirleen ountchi"enm ge ntalviosctaibcuo"lff a orlpyks ychoalso gy
prescimeunmtbijofmu ibco .W atsone,x afmoprdl eer,i fdoeldk psy­
cholocgoinccaelap s"t hse riotfaa gt eisms iadv apgaes" to ,fa p iece
wit"hs uperst"imtaigoiancn,,d""" v oodoaon,dh" eu rgedb et­he
haviotrobi esgt"i hnio sw nf ormuloaftt hipeor no bloefpm s ychology
bys weepaisniagdl mele diecvoanlc enpst1.Bi "yom idcentthubera yt tle
habde ewno nB.e haviwoarisinf s uml l ifnl oltweheaerd uinnigv ersities,
anidt csl atiobm e t hsec ienwtaiyf sittcou " dtyhm ei nd("n opwo intedly
spelwlietsdhc are quotesa)c kwnaosw lweiddgeeldy.
Asb ehavifolroiusrmi asc hheadsb,me gatnoo peinno ucru lture.
Thep ictouftr heme i nsdh arbeytd h hei stotrhipeao net,th ,pe o litical
theoarnitsdht me,a ni nt hset reebte iwrnaegsj ebcytt ehvdea nguard
ofs cienptsiyfcihco Iltwo agsy . sniomtp tlhyat th nee ws cieonfc e
behavdieosrc rpieboepidln te e rnmosst h arbeyd comsmeosnneT .h e