The Intentional Stance

E319077
interpretive strategy philosophical theory theory of mind

The Intentional Stance is a philosophical theory by Daniel Dennett that explains how we predict and interpret behavior by treating systems as if they have beliefs, desires, and rationality.

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All labels observed (4)

Label Occurrences
"The Intentional Stance" (1987) 1
The Intentional Stance canonical 1
book "The Intentional Stance" 1

Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf interpretive strategy ⓘ
philosophical theory ⓘ
theory of mind ⓘ
appliesTo animals ⓘ
artificial agents ⓘ
chess-playing programs ⓘ
computers ⓘ
humans ⓘ
associatedPhilosopher Daniel Dennett ⓘ
assumes that the system has coherent beliefs ⓘ
that the system has coherent desires ⓘ
that the system is approximately rational ⓘ
author Daniel Dennett ⓘ
contrastedWith design stance ⓘ
physical stance ⓘ
coreClaim attributing beliefs and desires is a predictive strategy, not a claim about inner metaphysical states ⓘ
success of intentional predictions justifies using intentional vocabulary ⓘ
systems that are complex enough can be fruitfully treated as intentional systems ⓘ
criticizedFor alleged instrumentalism about mental states ⓘ
downplaying the reality of consciousness ⓘ
relying on idealized rationality ⓘ
describedIn The Intentional Stance self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: book "The Intentional Stance"
field cognitive science ⓘ
philosophy of mind ⓘ
philosophy of psychology ⓘ
influenced cognitive science models of agency ⓘ
interpretations of rational choice theory ⓘ
philosophy of artificial intelligence ⓘ
introducedInWorkBy The Intentional Stance self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: "The Intentional Stance" (1987)
mainIdea attributing rationality to a system helps us forecast its behavior ⓘ
we can predict and explain behavior by treating systems as if they have beliefs and desires ⓘ
method treat the system as an intentional system and derive predictions from attributed beliefs and desires ⓘ
proposedBy Daniel Dennett ⓘ
relatedConcept belief ⓘ
computational theory of mind ⓘ
desire ⓘ
folk psychology ⓘ
functionalism ⓘ
prediction of behavior ⓘ
rationality ⓘ
theory of mind ⓘ
relatedWorkByAuthor "Brainstorms" ⓘ
Consciousness Explained ⓘ
surface form: "Consciousness Explained"

"Elbow Room" ⓘ
stanceType interpretive stance ⓘ
supportsView that mentalistic language can be scientifically respectable ⓘ
usedFor explaining intelligent behavior ⓘ
interpreting linguistic behavior ⓘ
modeling decision-making ⓘ
understanding artificial intelligence systems ⓘ

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Daniel Dennett → notableWork → The Intentional Stance ⓘ
The Intentional Stance → describedIn → The Intentional Stance self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: book "The Intentional Stance"
The Intentional Stance → introducedInWorkBy → The Intentional Stance self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: "The Intentional Stance" (1987)
journal Mind → hasNotablePaper → The Intentional Stance ⓘ
subject surface form: Mind
this entity surface form: “The Intentional Stance” by Daniel Dennett