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Reasoning as deliberative in function but dialogic in structure and origin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 March 2011

Peter Godfrey-Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138. pgs@fas.harvard.eduhttp://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~pgs/
Kritika Yegnashankaran
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504. kyegnash@bard.edu

Abstract

Mercier and Sperber (M&S) claim that the main function of reasoning is to generate support for conclusions derived unconsciously. An alternative account holds that reasoning has a deliberative function even though it is an internalized analogue of public discourse. We sketch this alternative and compare it with M&S's in the light of the empirical phenomena they discuss.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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References

Vygotsky, L. (1986) Thought and language. Trans. Kozulin, A.. MIT Press. (Original work published 1934.).Google Scholar
Yegnashankaran, K. (2010) Reasoning as action. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Harvard University.Google Scholar