"My dear," says the 'very dedicated neurophysiologist' to his wife (Grice, Method)
I have long thought of myself as an acute and well-informed interpreter of your
behaviour.
---- [cfr. Skinner].
[But what's more]
"I think I have been able to identify
nearly every *thought* that has made you [involuntarily, even] smile!"
The neurophysiologist continues:
"My research has even made such a *progress* that,
as it happens,
I no longer need to understand you IN THIS conversational way."
"I am happy to say that I am now in a
position, with the aid of *an apparatus* which I shall
promptly attach [to you head], to assign to each
body movement you make a specific
_antecedent condition_ in your
cortex."
"In the meantime, perhaps you would have dinner
with me tonight."
"I trust you will *not* resist if I bring along
this apparatus then to help me determine,
as quickly as possible, the physiological idiosyncracies
which obtain in your system."
Grice comments:
"I have a feeling that the lady might refuse the proffered
invitation".
------ The idea is that 'why' questions inviting psychological predicates are hardly answered neurophysiologically. Or not.
No comments:
Post a Comment