University of California Davis Philosophy 13(G), Dr.

Dorsey

Daniel Dennett, True Believers: The Intentional Strategy and Why It Works

Strategy for What?

Explaining a system’s behavior (period).

What Is a Stance?

A way of {thinking about / characterizing / theorizing about} a system in order

to explain its behavior.

What are Dennett’s three stances?

The physical stance: think of a system’s physical constitution and physical

attributes
The design stance: think of a system’s design
The “intentional” stance: think of a system as a rational agent with beliefs,
desires, and intentions. (B-D-I psychology)

When is a stance’s use warranted?

When its use provides explanatory purchase not otherwise gained.

Key example (+): An FSM or TM or even the Coke Machine.
Key example (-): Basic thermostat (illustration added at bottom of p.2)

Even if one stance explains a system well, another stance may capture an
objective pattern in reality and provide a better explanation by virtue of doing so.

Explainer Stance System Behavior

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 University of California Davis Philosophy 13(G), Dr. Dorsey

Can Dennett’s ‘Intentional Stance’ serve as a roughly equivalent but superior surrogate for the
Turing Test?

The Turing Test The Intentionality Test

Based on behavior?

Based on linguistic behavior?

Based solely on linguistic ✘

behavior?

“Looks inside”? ✘

A good (or at least adequate)

test for thinking/intelligence/
mind?

The intentionality test: If the last box can be checked off, is it a (mere) sufficiency test or
is it even better?

Is ‘intentionality’ a sufficient condition for mind (or thinking or intelligence)?

Is ‘intentionality’ a necessary condition for mind (or thinking or intelligence)?

———————————————————————————————————————
Simple thermostat example

Heater (only runs when electrical circuit is closed)

Wire
Metal strip (curved when warm/expanded; straightens out when cold/contracted)
Simple thermostat (box housing wire ends and metal strip)

on until
metal
off (re-)expands
(ambient temp: and circuit is (ambient temp:
‘warm’, broken/open ‘cold’,
say ≥ 68F) say < 68F)

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