Teleosemantics

Teleosemantic Theories: Summary

Explain theories of mental content by appealing to a teleological notion of function.

What a representation represents depends on the functions of the systems that produce/use the representation. Functions as understood as 'what the thing with the function was selected for'.

All theories share a notion o function in some sense 'teleological' and 'normative'.

Teleological: e.g. the function of a the heart to pump blood... equivalent to saying that hearts are for pumping blood, or are there to do this. Biologists mean by this something like, hearts were selected/adapted for/designed for pumping blood.

Millikan: nature is purposive. But, not clear if her meaning is metaphorical.

Normative: 'normal' function.

Problem: Functional Indeterminacy

Dretske and later Fodor: natural selection is extensional.

Fodor objects that teleological theories leave content indeterminate, because function is indeterminate. Natural selection is extensional in the following sense…