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    If a mental state can refer to an external thing through ... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→The human mind can only know the external world through species (mental representations) that resemble external things.

    If a mental state can refer to an external thing through causal or functional relations rather than likeness, the species theory's resemblance requirement is unmotivated.

    ?Rate how convincing each reason is below to see the overall strength.
    1 reason for
    1 reason against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
    ?
    • 1.Mental content depends fundamentally on causal history: a belief about water requires the right causal chain from H2O, not resemblance to it.
      ?

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    • 2.Species theory cannot explain how abstract concepts (justice, number) refer without likeness, suggesting resemblance is not a general requirement.
      ?

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    • 3.If functional role determines reference (as in functionalism), resemblance becomes epiphenomenal—an unnecessary addition to causal-functional accounts.
      ?

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    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
    ?
    • 1.Causal relations alone cannot distinguish correct from incorrect reference without some structural matching between thought and world (resemblance).
      ?

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    • 2.The species theory may still require resemblance at some level: thoughts resemble external structures functionally, even if not perceptually.
      ?

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    • 3.Causal-functional theories face the problem of distinguishing thoughts from their causes—resemblance provides intrinsic content independent of history.
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    Connections

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    Perception1 linkedSkepticism1 linked

    Related

    Causal relations alone cannot distinguish correct from incorrect reference witho...Causal-functional theories face the problem of distinguishing thoughts from thei...If functional role determines reference (as in functionalism), resemblance becom...Mental content depends fundamentally on causal history: a belief about water req...
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    Species theory cannot explain how abstract concepts (justice, number) refer with...The human mind can only know the external world through species (mental represen...The species theory may still require resemblance at some level: thoughts resembl...

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    2 (1 for, 1 against)
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