Intentionality is the Mark of the Vital
Document Type
Book Chapter
Abstract
Much of the philosophy of mind has been dedicated to reconciling the mental with the material. But to the extent that the "mental" is seen as equivalent to the intentional and the "material" as equivalent to the "biological," the project of reconciling the intentional with the material is unnecessary. Concepts exhibiting the special logical properties thought to be unique to intentionality are a commonplace in biology. Thus, the special problem of the emergence of intentionality in human evolution, in human conscious and language, and in human culture is neither special nor problem: in the relevant logical respects, intentionality is, and has always been immanent in the simplest of biological systems. The goal of this essay is to demonstrate that to the extent that the "mental" is seen as equivalent to the "intentional" and the "material" as equivalent to the "biological," the project of reconciling the intentional with the material is unnecessary because concepts exhibiting the special logical properties thought to be unique to intentionality are a commonplace in biology.
Publication Title
Perspectives in Ethology, Vol. 13. Evolution, culture, and behavior
Publication Date
2000
ISBN
9781461354475
DOI
10.1007/978-1-4615-1221-9_8
Repository Citation
Thompson, Nicholas S. and Derr, Patrick, "Intentionality is the Mark of the Vital" (2000). Faculty Works. 80.
https://commons.clarku.edu/facultyworks/80
