“I’m sorry, Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that”: non-nomolical uses for beliefs

Abstract

The conclusion that there are non-nomological uses for beliefs, although rather weak ones, is reached through a consideration of recent major work on the status of belief, particularly that of millikan and block. on the one hand, recent work supports the notion that, nomologically, intentionality bottoms out and should be covered by appeal to the neural. on the other hand, rude predictability is achieved in the realm of everyday affairs by--as millikan argues--use of intentionality and belief discourse. the overall argument sustains the latter point, while admitting that is may be at best a pyrrhic victory.