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
Mr. Putin
Way of the Warrior Kid 3
Energy And Civilization
War and Chance
Personal Knowledge
Obvious Adams
The Great Escape
Insanely Simple
A Thousand Splendid Suns
My Brother Ron
Prof. Arnold Ehret's Mucusless Diet Healing System
Violence and Social Orders
On Bullshit
Swarm Troopers
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living
How to Read a Book
Treasure Island
The Tipping Point
George's Marvellous Medicine
What You Want
Why Nations Fail
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk
The Status Syndrome
Chasing the Light
Pandaemonium
The Story of Civilization: The Renaissance
The Science of Conjecture
The Signal and the Noise
The Aeneid
Market Wizards
The Case for Nationalism
The E-Myth Revisited
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Greatness Mindset
The Road
What Do People Do All Day?
The Half-Life of Facts
Lost in Shangri-La
Who Am I
Endurance
The Mind Doesn't Work That Way
Resurrection From The Underground
American Buffalo
The Writing Life
Chasing Hillary
The Case Against Sugar
Applied Minds
The Double Helix
As One Is
The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership
Hacks
Save The Cat!
What is Life?
Daughter of the Heartland
How To Talk to Anyone
Learn or Die
The Second Mountain
Inside The House of Money
The Red Decade
Dune
I Wrote This Book Because I Love You
Radical Acceptance
One Summer
The Four Agreements
The Fourth Revolution
I Heard God Laughing
No Future Without Forgiveness
Scale
Putin's Kleptocracy
The Scout Mindset
The Net & The Butterfly
Jesse Livermore - Boy Plunger
Shattered
Have Space Suit - Will Travel
Bull by the Horns
Ringworld
Dapper Dan
The Making of Europe
Brotopia
Indigenous Continent
The Decadent Society
When
Eco-Farm
Kant and the Platypus
The Serengeti Rules
Flowers for Algernon
Eat a Peach
The Story of Philosophy
The Halo Effect...
Team of Rivals
Catherine the Great
The Ancient City
Direct Truth
Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention
Radical Son
The Essential Wooden
The Dream of Reason
A World-Class Education
Cultural Strategy
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing