Jerry Fodor
Jerry Fodor: A Pioneering Philosopher of Mind
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Full Name and Common Aliases
Jerry Alan Fodor was a renowned philosopher, cognitive scientist, and logician. He is commonly referred to as Jerry Fodor.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on April 13, 1935, in New York City, USA, Jerry Fodor passed away on January 29, 2016.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Jerry Fodor was an American philosopher of mind, cognitive scientist, and logician. He held a position as a professor at several institutions, including Princeton University and New York University.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in a family of Jewish descent, Jerry Fodor's interest in philosophy began at an early age. His father, Alexander Bogen, was a Ukrainian-born physician who emigrated to the United States before World War II. Fodor's mother, Sofia Gorbman, was a Russian-born psychologist. This intellectual background likely influenced his future pursuits in philosophy and cognitive science.
Fodor attended City College of New York (CCNY), where he studied physics, mathematics, and philosophy. He later transferred to Princeton University, graduating with honors in 1958. After completing his undergraduate degree, Fodor went on to earn a Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University in 1960.
Major Accomplishments
Jerry Fodor's work had a profound impact on the fields of cognitive science and philosophy of mind. He is best known for developing the theory of modularity of mind, which posits that the human brain consists of separate modules or systems responsible for specific cognitive functions. This idea challenged traditional views of the mind as a single, unified entity.
Fodor's work also focused on the nature of mental representation and the distinction between syntax and semantics in language. He was a key figure in the development of computational theory, which posits that the human brain operates like a computer processing information.
Notable Works or Actions
Some of Fodor's notable works include:
"The Psychology of Language" (1966) - A foundational text on the psychology of language and its relationship to cognitive science.
"Modularity of Mind: An Essay on Faculty Psychology" (1983) - A seminal work that introduced the theory of modularity of mind, which challenged traditional views of the mind as a single, unified entity.
* "A Theory of Content and Other Essays" (1990) - A collection of essays exploring topics in philosophy of mind, including mental representation and computational theory.
Impact and Legacy
Jerry Fodor's contributions to cognitive science and philosophy of mind have had far-reaching consequences. His work has influenced fields such as linguistics, psychology, and artificial intelligence. The modularity of mind theory remains a central concept in cognitive science, providing a framework for understanding how the human brain processes information.
Fodor's legacy extends beyond his academic contributions. He was known for his wit, humor, and ability to communicate complex ideas in an accessible manner. His writing style, which blended philosophical rigor with literary flair, has inspired many scholars to explore the intersection of philosophy and science.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Jerry Fodor's quotes and writings are widely cited due to their accessibility, wit, and insight into the human mind. He was a masterful communicator who could distill complex ideas into clear, concise language. His work continues to inspire researchers, scholars, and thinkers across various disciplines.
Fodor's commitment to intellectual honesty, skepticism, and critical thinking has left an enduring mark on the academic community. His legacy serves as a reminder of the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and the need for philosophers to engage with empirical research in order to advance our understanding of the human mind.
As a philosopher, cognitive scientist, and logician, Jerry Fodor's impact will continue to be felt for generations to come.
Quotes by Jerry Fodor
The data that can bear on the confirmation of perceptual hypotheses includes, in the general case, considerably less than the organism may know.
I rather doubt that life has a meaning. If I thought perhaps it did, and I wanted to find out what its meaning is, I don’t imagine I’d ask someone whose credentials consist of a PhD in philosophy.
Methodological individualism is the doctrine that psychological states are individuated with respect to their causal powers.
Philosophers who pay for their semantics by drawing checks on Darwin are in debt way over their heads.
The content of a thought depends on its external relations; on the way that the thought is related to the world, not on the way that it is related to other thoughts.
If there is a community of computers living in my head, there had also better be somebody who is in charge; and, by God, it had better be me.
Look, suppose you’re an official in the National Science Foundation, and a guy comes to you and says: Listen I have this interesting idea, give me $100,000 and I’ll work on it. And then 50 of the most respected people in the field come up to you and say: Look, the guy’s crazy, that can’t be true. Who are you going to believe? You’re going to end up supporting a very conservative, middle brow scientific institution. It’s hopeless.
Pinker quotes Chomsky’s remark that ‘ignorance can be divided into problems and mysteries’ and continues: ‘I wrote this book because dozens of mysteries of the mind, from mental images to romantic love, have recently been upgraded to problems (though there are still some mysteries too!)’ Well, cheerfulness sells books, but Ecclesiastes got it right: ‘the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning.