Posted by alexandra_k on July 26, 2005, at 17:49:54
In reply to Re: gender differences » alexandra_k, posted by Dinah on July 26, 2005, at 17:35:50
> I don't think I have any tendencies toward behavioralism.
No. I thought that was a little strange...
>Anthomorphism some would say.
Yup. I remember Bill the behaviourist.... He was telling us about how cows lick gates. Cows have been known to lick gates to dislodge the kiddie lock catch to let themselves into a greener pasture. So the question becomes: why do cows lick gates? Answer A (the mentalist / anthropomorphic answer) cows have an innate understanding of locking mechanisms. They believe that if they open the gate they will get something they want. They know how to open the gate and thus they lick the lock. Answer B (the behaviourist answer) they are mucking around doing cow stuff and start licking the lock. The lock opens and because licking the lock has been reinforced they are thus more likely to lick locks on subsequent occasions.
They say the second answer is better because 'one should not attribute a higher mental capacity than is needed to explain the phenomenon'. Thats why we no longer talk of rocks falling to earth because they desire to be reunited with mother earth. We no longer talk of thor being angry and banging his hammer to make lightening.
There is a proper name for this principle. It is a more particular form of Occhams razor.
In learning about what animals can and can't do you start to get a clearer idea on similarities differences. I'd quite like to learn more about this. Thats why I'll do biology if philosophy doesn't work out for me.
>I just prefer to say I'm not speciesist. :)
:-)
That term comes up with respect to disregarding the suffering of animals in favour of the whims of our own species...
> I didn't say you were wrong, you know. I just said I drew different conclusions.Yeah. Its hard because everything is like everything else in some respect. But then (arguably) if you have x and you have y and x and y share all the same properties then x is identical to y.
(Ignoring 'bare particularity' as one probably should...)
So everything is the same in some respects and different in some respects to everything else. Its working out the precise points of contact that is hard.
I just think that people will have more luck studying people with respect to learning about people.
Especially if it is those higher capacities (language, self representation, etc etc) that is what interests us...
Because with respect to those higher capacities I think it is that a difference in degree has led to a difference in kind.
But I'm just talking really...
poster:alexandra_k
thread:525223
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20050716/msgs/533871.html