Abstract:
Daniel Dennett has developed a theory about intentional states which avoids the threats of eliminativism.
According to him the main purpose of intentional states is to predict the behaviour of complex systems.
Mental States have an objective reality to be seen in patterns of behaviour but do not have any real causal power themselves.
In this essay I want to briefly outline Dennett�s account, how it developed from being purely
instrumentalistic to semi-realistic, and show how it compares with the theory-theory, the standard theory in the field.
I will argue that by denying intentional states to be causal efficacious, his theory faces too many difficulties to be considered a valuable alternative.
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semirealism.doc