Gilbert Ryles The Concept of Mind Essay -- Concept Mind Gilbert Ryle

gilbert Ryles The image of MindIn The Concept of Mind Gilbert Ryle adjudicates, in his own words, to explode the myth of Cartesian dualism. His primary manner in this endeavour is to explain why it is a logical error to describe minds and bodies with semantically similar language while secondarily, he proposes that make up to speak of minds as a second-order ontology is to take the first step in the wrong direction towards intellectual clarity. Thus, with the desire to arrive at this sibylline locale, the following peripatetic discussion will set out with Ryle at his point of departure, viz. Descartes Myth it will then survey the lay-of-the-land at Ryles mapped out midway point, viz. Self-Knowledge and from there, judge whether Ryle himself is headed in the right direction, or, whether disrespect the ribbons and fan-fare, Ryles excursion takes place on a circular track.Ryle begins by seek to expose the theory of Cartesian Dualism as an absurd logical error. To do this, he ac cuses it of having an inherently faulty structure that it exemplifies one big category-mistake.1 To understand this claim we must first look at what Ryle deems a category-mistake.A category-mistake is committed when one accounts for a concept by placing it in a certain logical type, or category, when in fact it belongs to a different division altogether. So to describe or qualify both items or ideas of dissimilar constitution within the same linguistic mannequin is to commit this mistake. Ryle provides numerous examples for the elucidation of this error, only one of which follows she came home in a flood of tears and a sedan chair.2 The silliness of this statement shows the category-mistake for what it is a failure to use langu... ...ons it is my considered opinion that despite Ryles attempt at intellectual clarity, this clarity is an illusion.NOTES1 Gilbert Ryle, The Concept of Mind, p. 17.Back to visor of hand perspective in text2 Ibid., p. 23.Back to note location in t ext3 Ibid., p. 15.Back to note location in text4 Ibid. Back to note location in text5 Ibid., p.21.Back to note location in text6 Ibid., p. 23.Back to note location in text7 I refer to John R. Searle, The Rediscovery of The Mind, in which the author states Mental phenomena are caused by neurophysiological processes in the head word and are themselves features of the brain. p. 1.Back to note location in text8 Gilbert Ryle, The Concept of Mind, p. 149.Back to note location in text9 Ibid., p. 149.Back to note location in text10 Ibid., p. 162.Back to note location in text