Are propositional attitudes mental states?
Are propositional attitudes mental states?
I present an argument that propositional attitudes are not mental states. In a nutshell, the argument is that if propositional attitudes are mental states, then only minded beings could have them; but there are reasons to think that some non-minded beings could bear propositional attitudes. To illustrate this, I appeal to cases of genuine group intentionality. I argue that these are cases in which some group entities bear propositional attitudes, but they are not subjects of mental states. Although propositional attitudes are not mental states, I propose that they are typically co-instantiated with mental states. In an attempt to explain this co-instantiation, I suggest that propositional attitudes of minded beings are typically realized by mental states.
propositional attitudes, group intentionality, mental states
417-432
Baysan, Umut
69cc8c93-08a0-4b88-8192-eb5a22fa82e3
18 February 2022
Baysan, Umut
69cc8c93-08a0-4b88-8192-eb5a22fa82e3
Abstract
I present an argument that propositional attitudes are not mental states. In a nutshell, the argument is that if propositional attitudes are mental states, then only minded beings could have them; but there are reasons to think that some non-minded beings could bear propositional attitudes. To illustrate this, I appeal to cases of genuine group intentionality. I argue that these are cases in which some group entities bear propositional attitudes, but they are not subjects of mental states. Although propositional attitudes are not mental states, I propose that they are typically co-instantiated with mental states. In an attempt to explain this co-instantiation, I suggest that propositional attitudes of minded beings are typically realized by mental states.
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s11023-022-09594-x (1)
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Accepted/In Press date: 7 February 2022
Published date: 18 February 2022
Keywords:
propositional attitudes, group intentionality, mental states
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Local EPrints ID: 505310
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/505310
PURE UUID: 74f1dd6d-5610-402b-83af-a79b138988ac
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Date deposited: 06 Oct 2025 16:55
Last modified: 07 Oct 2025 02:17
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Author:
Umut Baysan
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