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Why literalism is still the best game in town: Replies to Drayson, Machery, and Schwitzgebel
Author(s) -
Figdor Carrie
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
mind and language
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.905
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1468-0017
pISSN - 0268-1064
DOI - 10.1111/mila.12307
Subject(s) - nothing , metaphysics , interpretation (philosophy) , epistemology , philosophy , position (finance) , psychology , social psychology , economics , linguistics , finance
I respond to the main criticisms raised by Schwitzgebel, Machery, and Drayson of the main arguments of Pieces of mind in favor of the position I call literalism. Schwitzgebel's mainly supportive commentary decries the Cartesian assumption that mindedness is an all or nothing affair. Machery claims that there is an alternative to literalism that is a better interpretation of the uses of psychological predicates across species. Drayson argues that literalism is mistaken on a number of fundamental metaphysical issues. I conclude that literalism emerges even stronger as a result of confronting their excellent criticisms.