Function, modality, mental content

Journal of Mind and Behavior 32 (2):84-87 (2011)
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Abstract

I clarify some of the details of the modal theory of function I outlined in Nanay (2010): (a) I explicate what it means that the function of a token biological trait is fixed by modal facts; (b) I address an objection to my trait type individuation argument against etiological function and (c) I examine the consequences of replacing the etiological theory of function with a modal theory for the prospects of using the concept of biological function to explain mental content.

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Bence Nanay
University of Antwerp

Citations of this work

Teleosemantics without etiology.Bence Nanay - 2014 - Philosophy of Science 81 (5):798-810.
Artifact Categorization and the Modal Theory of Artifact Function.Bence Nanay - 2013 - Review of Philosophy and Psychology 4 (3):515-526.
The Modal Theory of Function Is Not about Functions.Marc Artiga - 2014 - Philosophy of Science 81 (4):580-591.
Contextualism about object-seeing.Ben Phillips - 2016 - Philosophical Studies 173 (9):2377-2396.

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Function and Modality.Osamu Kiritani - 2011 - Journal of Mind and Behavior 32 (1):1-4.

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