Drawing on insights from causal theories of reference, teleosemantics, and state space
semantics, a theory of naturalized mental representation. In A Mark of the Mental, Karen …

The biological functions debate is a perennial topic in the philosophy of science. In the first
full-length account of the nature and importance of biological functions for many years …

I present and defend the generalized selected effects (GSE) theory of function. According to
GSE, the function of a trait consists in the activity that contributed to its bearer's differential …

Mainstream teleosemantics is the view that mental representation should be understood in
terms of biological functions, which, in turn, should be understood in terms of selection …

This paper argues that a minimal notion of function and a notion of normal-proper function
are used in explaining how bodies and brains operate. Neither is Cummins'(1975) notion, as …

To see how to integrate psychology and neuroscience, begin by considering a classical
psychological explanation: a functional analysis of a cognitive capacity, such as vision …

The aim of teleosemantics is to give a scientifically respectable or 'naturalistic'theory of
mental content. This paper focuses on one of the key concepts of teleosemantics: biological …

Theories of function are conventionally divided up into historical and ahistorical ones.
Proponents of ahistorical theories often cite the ahistoricity of their accounts as a major …

There are two very different ways of thinking about perception. According to
representationalism, perceptual states are representations: they represent the world as …

How Biology Shapes Philosophy is a seminal contribution to the emerging field of
biophilosophy. It brings together work by philosophers who draw on biology to address …