Jerry A. Fodor
Jerry A. Fodor: The Philosopher of Mind and Language
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Jerry Alan Fodor was born on January 31, 1935, in New York City, USA.
Birth and Death Dates
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Born: January 31, 1935
Died: November 29, 2016 (aged 81)
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Jerry A. Fodor was an American philosopher and cognitive scientist of Hungarian descent. He was a leading figure in the fields of philosophy of mind, language, and cognitive science.
Early Life and Background
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Fodor grew up in a Jewish family in New York City. His interest in philosophy began at an early age, influenced by his parents' intellectual pursuits. Fodor's academic excellence earned him a scholarship to Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts. He then attended Princeton University, where he graduated summa cum laude in 1956.
Major Accomplishments
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Fodor made significant contributions to the fields of philosophy and cognitive science. His work on modularity of mind challenged traditional views of mental processes as holistic and non-localized. He also proposed the Language of Thought (LOT) hypothesis, which posits that thought is mediated by a language-like system in the brain.
Notable Works or Actions
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Some of Fodor's notable works include:
The Psychology of Language (1966)
The Language of Thought (1975)
Modularity of Mind (1983)
A Theory of Content and Other Essays (1990)
Fodor was also a prolific writer, publishing numerous articles and essays in leading philosophical and scientific journals. He served as the director of the Center for Cognitive Science at New York University.
Impact and Legacy
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Jerry Fodor's work had far-reaching implications for cognitive science, philosophy of mind, and linguistics. His ideas on modularity of mind influenced the development of connectionism and neural networks. The LOT hypothesis continues to shape theories of thought and language processing in cognitive science.
Fodor's intellectual rigor and innovative thinking earned him numerous awards, including the Jean Nicod Prize (1991) and the Guggenheim Fellowship (1975). He was also a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Jerry Fodor's work is widely quoted and remembered due to its profound impact on cognitive science, philosophy of mind, and linguistics. His ideas continue to shape the field, influencing researchers and scholars across disciplines. As a leading figure in cognitive science, Fodor's legacy serves as a testament to his intellectual curiosity and innovative spirit.
Fodor's work has had lasting effects on our understanding of thought, language, and cognition. His contributions will continue to inspire future generations of philosophers, scientists, and thinkers.
Quotes by Jerry A. Fodor
Some philosophers hold that philosophy is what you do to a problem until it’s clear enough to solve it by doing science. Others hold that if a philosophical problem succumbs to empirical methods, that shows it wasn’t really philosophical to begin with.
People think they want to know. Actually, if you ask—-how much would you pay to know, the answer is not much. . . . Do you care how your refrigerator works? No, as long as there’s a repairman around when it breaks down. Nobody really cares.
As Uncle Hegel used to enjoy pointing out, the trouble with perspectives is that they are, by definition, PARTIAL points of view; the Real problems are appreciated only when, in the course of the development of the World Spirit, the limits of perspective come to be transcended. Or, to put it less technically, it helps to be able to see the whole elephant.
My point... is of course not that solipsism is true; it's just that truth, reference, and the rest of the semantic notions aren't psychological categories. What they are is: they're modes of Dasein. I don't know what Dasein is, but I'm sure that there's lots of it around, and I'm sure that you and I and Cincinnati have all got it. What more do you want?
The sun will rise tomorrow morning; I know that perfectly well. But figuring out how I could know it is, as Hume pointed out, a bit of a puzzle.
There is a gap between the mind and the world, and (as far as anybody knows) you need to posit internal representations if you are to have a hope of getting across it. Mind the gap. You’ll regret it if you don't.
Ontological priority is normatively neutral, Plato to the contrary notwithstanding.
Only a philosopher would consider taking Oedipus as a model for a normal, unproblematic relation between an action and the maxim of the act.