Using a Myth to Kill a Myth - Cognitive Science and the Myth of the Given in Philosophy of Mind

Watch a philosophical seminar where Associate Professor Carl B. Sachs explores Wilfrid Sellars' criticism of "the Myth of the Given" and its implications for cognitive science. Delve into how overcoming this philosophical concept requires an adequate understanding of higher psychological processes and the causal mechanisms behind scientific achievements. Learn about the evolutionary connection between preconceptual behavioral patterns and conceptual thinking, while examining the historical development of mind sciences. Discover how human scientific understanding emerged from earlier cultural forms and hominid social behavior. The lecture covers key topics including scientific meta-philosophy, naturalism, theory of representations, neural structural representations, and Kantian functionalism. Gain insights into the intersection of philosophy of mind, American pragmatism, and critical theory through the expertise of Sachs, author of "Intentionality and the Myths of the Given" and founding member of the Wilfrid Sellars Society.