The Mind Doesn't Work That Way

The Scope and Limits of Computational Psychology

Jerry A. Fodor

Recommended By

Book Synopsis

"The Mind Doesn't Work That Way" by Jerry A. Fodor is a captivating exploration of how the mind functions. Fodor critically examines popular theories that propose the mind operates as a computer or follows simple algorithms. With razor-sharp analysis, he challenges the idea that the mind can be reduced to a set of computational processes.

In this thought-provoking book, Fodor argues that the mind's intricate operations cannot be adequately understood through computational models alone. He highlights the limitations of computational theories, revealing how they oversimplify complex cognitive processes such as language acquisition, perception, and problem-solving.

Fodor proposes an alternative hypothesis called the "modularity of mind," which suggests that the mind is composed of specialized cognitive modules that are responsible for specific tasks. He presents compelling evidence from various domains, including language, vision, and reasoning, to support his theory.

Throughout the book, Fodor engages with opposing viewpoints and offers insightful critiques of alternative theories, shedding light on the fundamental flaws of these approaches.

"The Mind Doesn't Work That Way" is a must-read for anyone interested in cognitive science, philosophy of mind, or psychology. Fodor's comprehensive analysis challenges conventional wisdom and seeks to redefine our understanding of how the mind truly operates.

Explore More Books

See All
A History of Western Technology
Taxes Have Consequences
The Box
The Healing Journey
The Oxford History of Britain
The River of Doubt
Road to Wigan Pier
The Opium of the Intellectuals
Fewer
Academically Adrift
Raising Girls
Sourdough Culture
The Immateriality of the Material
My Forty Years with Ford
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Visual Explanations
The Uterus Is a Feature, Not a Bug
More Than You Know
Prisoners of Geography
Netflixed
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
The Big Score
Trading Bases
Living With A SEAL
Trauma
Walden
Primed to Perform
Don't Shoot the Dog!
Flu
Getting to Maybe
Reminiscences of a Stock Operator
The Poems of Dylan Thomas
The Farming Ladder
Harvesting the Biosphere
Red Notice
Confessions of a Philosopher
The 80/20 Principle
Leapfrog
How To Turn Down A Billion Dollars
The Plot Against the President
Check Your Financial Privilege
Knowledge and Decisions
Hagakure
City of the Century
An Apology for the Builder
Army Of None
Solution Selling
Andrew Carnegie
Essentialism
The Iliad
The Great Crash of 1929
Exit Interview
The Seventh Sense
First a Dream
The Fatal Conceit
The Way of Kings
True Enough
The Creative Curve
Rework
Alexander Hamilton
Portfolios of the Poor
The City In History
The House of Rothschild
Seeing Like a State
Paradigms Of A.I. Programming
Alpha Girls
The Story of Civilization: The Age of Voltaire
Well
Liberty Under Seige
I Seem To Be A Verb
The Hand
Race Matters
Empires of Light
Ask The Dust
The Eden Project
The Things They Carried
The Myth of the Rational Voter
Moby Dick
On Writing
The Great Challenge
Daring Greatly
The German Generals Talk
I Will Teach You To Be Rich
Hansel and Gretel
Expert Political Judgement
Bossypants
The Sleepwalkers
Lean In
Fooled By Randomness
New Power
Whole Earth Discipline
Ham on Rye
Brave New Words
Hoover Dam
Out of Many, One
Travels with Charley
Cold Calling Techniques
Hamlet
The Black Jacobins
The Choice