Ruth Millikan
Encyclopedia
Ruth Garrett Millikan is a well-known American
philosopher of biology
, psychology
, and language
. She was awarded the Jean Nicod Prize
and gave the Jean Nicod Lectures in Paris
in 2002.
Millikan earned her PhD from Yale University
where she studied under Wilfrid Sellars
. She and Paul Churchland
are often considered leading proponents of "right wing" (i.e., individualistic) Sellarsianism.
Millikan taught at the University of Michigan
and for many years at the University of Connecticut
, where she is now professor emeritus.
". Intentionality is the phenomenon of things being such that they are 'about' other things, paradigm cases being thoughts and sentences. A belief of mine that you will do my chores for me, for example, is about you and about my chores. The same is true of a corresponding desire, intention or spoken or written command.
In general the goal of a theory of intentionality is to explain the phenomenon - things being such that they are 'about' other things - in other, more informative, terms. Such a theory aims to give an account of what this "aboutness" consists in. Just as chemistry offers the claim that "water is H2O" as a theory of what water consists in, so biosemantics aims for a constitutive account of intentionality.
As the name hints, Millikan's theory explains intentionality in terms that are broadly 'biological'. Specifically, she explains it in terms of ways that things have been selected to be, in particular in terms of a normal kind of explanation of a thing.
In her article, "Naturalist Reflections on Knowledge", Millikan defends the position that the justification of true beliefs through an explanation in accordance with evolution constitutes knowledge.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
philosopher of biology
Philosophy of biology
The philosophy of biology is a subfield of philosophy of science, which deals with epistemological, metaphysical, and ethical issues in the biological and biomedical sciences...
, psychology
Philosophy of psychology
Philosophy of psychology refers to issues at the theoretical foundations of modern psychology. Some of these issues are epistemological concerns about the methodology of psychological investigation...
, and language
Philosophy of language
Philosophy of language is the reasoned inquiry into the nature, origins, and usage of language. As a topic, the philosophy of language for analytic philosophers is concerned with four central problems: the nature of meaning, language use, language cognition, and the relationship between language...
. She was awarded the Jean Nicod Prize
Jean Nicod Prize
The Jean Nicod Prize is awarded annually in Paris to a leading philosopher of mind or philosophically-oriented cognitive scientist. The lectures are organized by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique as part of its effort to promote interdisciplinary research in cognitive science in...
and gave the Jean Nicod Lectures in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 2002.
Millikan earned her PhD from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
where she studied under Wilfrid Sellars
Wilfrid Sellars
Wilfrid Stalker Sellars was an American philosopher. His father was the Canadian-American philosopher Roy Wood Sellars, a leading American philosophical naturalist in the first half of the twentieth-century...
. She and Paul Churchland
Paul Churchland
Paul Churchland is a philosopher noted for his studies in neurophilosophy and the philosophy of mind. He is currently a Professor at the University of California, San Diego, where he holds the Valtz Chair of Philosophy. Churchland holds a joint appointment with the Cognitive Science Faculty and...
are often considered leading proponents of "right wing" (i.e., individualistic) Sellarsianism.
Millikan taught at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and for many years at the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
, where she is now professor emeritus.
Views
Millikan is most famous for the view which, in her 1989 paper of the same name, she refers to as "Biosemantics". Biosemantics is a theory about something philosophers often refer to as "intentionalityIntentionality
The term intentionality was introduced by Jeremy Bentham as a principle of utility in his doctrine of consciousness for the purpose of distinguishing acts that are intentional and acts that are not...
". Intentionality is the phenomenon of things being such that they are 'about' other things, paradigm cases being thoughts and sentences. A belief of mine that you will do my chores for me, for example, is about you and about my chores. The same is true of a corresponding desire, intention or spoken or written command.
In general the goal of a theory of intentionality is to explain the phenomenon - things being such that they are 'about' other things - in other, more informative, terms. Such a theory aims to give an account of what this "aboutness" consists in. Just as chemistry offers the claim that "water is H2O" as a theory of what water consists in, so biosemantics aims for a constitutive account of intentionality.
As the name hints, Millikan's theory explains intentionality in terms that are broadly 'biological'. Specifically, she explains it in terms of ways that things have been selected to be, in particular in terms of a normal kind of explanation of a thing.
In her article, "Naturalist Reflections on Knowledge", Millikan defends the position that the justification of true beliefs through an explanation in accordance with evolution constitutes knowledge.
See also
- List of Jean Nicod Prize laureatesJean Nicod PrizeThe Jean Nicod Prize is awarded annually in Paris to a leading philosopher of mind or philosophically-oriented cognitive scientist. The lectures are organized by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique as part of its effort to promote interdisciplinary research in cognitive science in...
- American philosophyAmerican philosophyAmerican philosophy is the philosophical activity or output of Americans, both within the United States and abroad. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy notes that while American philosophy lacks a "core of defining features, American Philosophy can nevertheless be seen as both reflecting and...
- List of American philosophers