Jerry Alan Fodor | |
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Born | April 22, 1935 |
Died | November 29, 2017 New York City, New York | (aged 82)
Era | 20th / 21st-century philosophy |
Region | Western Philosophy |
School | Analytic |
Main interests | Philosophy of mind Philosophy of language Cognitive science Rationalism · Cognitivism Functionalism |
Notable ideas | Modularity of mind Language of thought |
Influences | |
Influenced |
Jerry Fodor (April 22, 1935 – November 29, 2017) was a philosopher. He mostly worked on the philosophy of mind and cognitive science, both of which are concerned with how the mind worked.
His studies have concerned themselves with the idea of whether thought is expressed in language or whether it is absurd to think so. Fodor also attempted to tie in the design of the brain to the thoughts held within. This is described by many as a return to the 19th century practice of phrenology, although Fodor offers more science to back his version up than phrenologists. It is these views which led other philosophers, such as Jared Cole and Daniel Dennett to describe Fodor's claims as absurd and out of date.