Lin-LAZ Simulation Listening Exam 4 – Level B1
Prof. Peter Cullen
Spring 2012
Text
Remember that our project is not just to explain the nature of human society, but to
show how its features are both consistent with, and are natural developments from, the
basic facts. The basic facts are given by physics, chemistry, evolutionary biology, and the
other so-called hard sciences.
So far, I have given an account that tries to show how we can think of intentionality as a
natural biological phenomenon that has interesting logical properties. It is important to
keep reminding ourselves that natural brain processes, at a certain level of description,
have logical semantic properties. They have conditions of satisfaction, such as truth
conditions, and other logical relations. These logical properties are as much a part of our
natural biology as is the secretion of neurotransmitters into synaptic spaces. Yes, you can
have brain processes that are logically inconsistent with other brain processes. Right now,
as you listen to these words, there is an electro-chemical process going on in your brain
that has the semantic contents of which you are now aware.
In our dualist tradition of psychology, we are not used to thinking of natural biological
phenomena as intrinsically having logical properties. Logical properties are supposed to
exist in an abstract realm apart from “squishy” biology. I am insisting that, as you listen to
this sentence, the thoughts going through your mind are also neurobiological processes in
the brain and that those processes have logical properties - exactly the same logical
properties as those of thoughts. Every so often in philosophy someone tries to “naturalise”
intentionality. By naturalising intentionality they usually mean denying that it really exists,
or asserting that it is really something else. My answer to this is that intentionality really
does exist and that it is not something else. Intentionality is already naturalised because,
for example, thinking is as natural as digesting.
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Lin-AZ Simulation Listening Exam 4 – Level B1
Spring 2012
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Prof. Peter Cullen
___________________________________________
Name, Date, and Registration Number
Questions: You do not have to use complete sentences! This is a listening exam.
SIMPLE AND CORRECT IS BETTER THAN COMPLICATED AND WRONG.
1. Which scientific disciplines provide the basic facts for human society?
2. What has Searle’s account tried to show?
3. What are logical properties a part of?
4. What does Searle insist is happening as you listen to the sentence?
5. Why does Searle think intentionality is already naturalised?
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True or False: Write “True” or “False” in the space next to each statement
1. The features of human society are consistent with the hard sciences.
________________
2. Natural brain processes have logical semantic properties.
________________
3. There is an electro-chemical process that has the semantic contents of which you are
aware.
________________
4. Psychology does not have a dualist tradition.
________________
5. Searle agrees with other philosophers that intentionality does exist, but that it is
something else other than natural biological process.
________________
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Lin-AZ Simulation Listening Exam 3 – Level B1
Prof. Peter Cullen
Spring 2012
Answer Sheet
1. Which scientific disciplines provide the basic facts for human society?
The basic facts are given by physics, chemistry, evolutionary biology, and the other socalled hard sciences
2. What has Searle’s account tried to show?
to show how we can think of intentionality as a natural biological phenomenon
that has interesting logical properties
3. What are logical properties a part of??
“Intentionality” is a fancy philosopher’s term for that capacity of the mind that
directs it at or about objects and states of affairs in the world that are typically
independent of the mind.
4. What does Searle insist is happening as you listen to the sentence?
the thoughts going through your mind are also neurobiological processes in the brain and
that those processes have logical properties
5. Why does Searle think intentionality is already naturalised?
thinking is as natural as digesting
True or False: Write “True” or “False” in the space next to each statement
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2
3
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5
T
T
T
F
T
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