Beliefs are not mental states from "summary" of The Concept of Mind by Gilbert Ryle
Beliefs are often mistakenly thought to be mental states. However, this is a misconception that arises from a confusion between the content of a belief and the mental act of believing. The content of a belief is a proposition, while the mental act of believing is a psychological event or process. When we say that someone believes something, we are not referring to a mental state that exists in the person's mind. Instead, we are talking about the person's disposition to behave in certain ways in response to certain stimuli. This disposition is not a mental state, but rather a characteristic of the person's behavior. For example, when we say that someone believes that it is going to rain, we are not saying that there is a mental state in the person's mind that represents the proposition "it is going to rain." Instead, we are saying that the person is disposed to behave in certain ways, such as carrying an umbrella or canceling outdoor plans, when faced with the possibility of rain. In this way, beliefs are not mental states, but rather dispositions to behave in certain ways. This distinction is crucial for understanding the nature of beliefs and their relationship to mental states. By recognizing that beliefs are not mental states, we can avoid the confusion that often arises when discussing the concept of belief.
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