Jerry Fodor’s radical concept of nativism did not find many supporters. Some scholars have even declared it to be utterly ridiculous. Yet, as Laurence and Margolis point out, his argument poses challenges that are problematic to oppose by his colleagues. Because it has proven difficult to say exactly what’s wrong with Fodor’s original argument, it still matters, even though his own view on it was not consistent and changed towards the end of his career.
This essay wants to follow his earlier argument and assess it with having regard to an example of colour-concept learning. It will first examine the classical view on the nature of concepts and how Fodor confronted it. After having presented Fodor's own opinion about the composition of concepts, the essay will focus on the question of concept acquisition. It will introduce the two opposing schools of thought and explore some of Fodor’s arguments for the innateness of concepts.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- The Nature of Concepts
- Fodor's Theory of Innateness
- Conclusive Application of Theories
- Works Cited
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay examines Jerry Fodor's concept theory, which argues that concepts are innate, and contrasts it with the classical/empiricist view. The essay aims to assess Fodor's theory in the context of how concepts are acquired, particularly using the example of colour-concept learning.
- The nature of concepts and their compositional structure
- The classical theory of concepts and its limitations
- Fodor's asymmetric-dependence theory and its implications for concept acquisition
- Empiricism and nativism as competing schools of thought on concept acquisition
- Fodor's argument for the innateness of concepts
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: Introduces the debate on concept acquisition, particularly focusing on the role of experience versus innate knowledge. It highlights Fodor's radical concept nativism and its implications.
- The Nature of Concepts: Explores the classical theory of concepts, which posits that concepts have definitional structures based on necessary and sufficient conditions. It then presents Fodor's criticism of this theory, arguing that most concepts are simple and indefinable. Fodor proposes an alternative, the asymmetric-dependence theory, which emphasizes the connection between concepts and their tokens in the world.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This essay focuses on the concepts of concept acquisition, innateness, empiricism, nativism, classical theory, asymmetric-dependence theory, and the work of Jerry Fodor. It examines the debate surrounding the nature and acquisition of concepts, specifically in relation to the philosophical and cognitive implications of Fodor's theory of innate concepts.
- Quote paper
- Benjamin Plett (Author), 2018, Concepts and their Acquisition. Assessing Jerry Fodor’s Concept Theory in Comparison with the Classical/Empiricist View, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/972367
