Jared Diamond - What is Intentionality?

'Intentionality' is a philosophical term that describes the elements of mental states that are 'directed' at things or ideas—the fact that thinking, feeling, hoping, believing, desiring are 'about' things. How can physical brain processes—electric currents and chemical concentrations—be 'about' things? Intentionality, some claim, is a problem for physicalists.



Jared Mason Diamond is an American scientist and author best known for his popular science books The Third Chimpanzee (1991), Guns, Germs, and Steel (1997), and Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed (2005).


Closer to Truth presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.

[QuestionEverythingButWHY]

“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.”
― Henry Thomas Buckle

[daviddivad]

I think that in the context of the progression in neuroscience and A.I philosophy of mind is going to be of major interest. I myself do not think everything can be reduced to the material.

[QuestionEverythingButWHY]

“Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.”
― Frank Zappa

[dennistucker]

This issue has much to do with criminal law. Proving intent or the lack of seems to have great effect.

[johnrohde]

Frustrating that the questions simply aren't answered in the sense in which they are asked.

[kallianpublico]

Does running water have "intentionality"? Whether in a brook or a faucet? Does the divergence or curl of the electromagnetic field have this property? Does birth and death have this property?
Which is intentional, my ignorance or my questioning? Can we discuss intent without the word "use"? With function must come form.

[xspotbox]

Intention must originate from property of nature to seek energy equilibrium, over a shortest path of least resistance. It can get complicated because there are 4 forces, all seek different state of rest. Like gravity can pull things at one place, but when they get to close, electromagnetic forces start to push them apart, trying to establish some other state of balance. Living beings depend on strong nuclear force, binding atoms into molecules and use molecular bonds to extract energy by braking some of them apart, those latter combine with molecules of body. Atoms are charged with weak nuclear force, spread over space time, further apart quarks move, stronger the force pulling them back in. Therefore intention is part of physical universe, separation of forces cause things to have shape, move and exchange potentials.
Living things are much the same in their core, except it's not natural, it's like life is fifth kind of force, with own distinctive inner tensions. How can that be, don't ask me, would receive a Nobel price if i could know that. We know how evolution is shaped by intentions of species, but that's about it, there's no apparent connection to general physics we could measure and quantize in some sensible qualities.
Than there's a sixth force we humans call imagination, most weird and powerful of them all. Force to create future and shape own destiny, by controlling natural potentials with mind, what kind of magic is that? We push a little there and pull over here, energize and discharge, accelerate and brake things, small things and slight corrections suddenly add up to something completely unique, not ever seen in entire universe before. Obviously mind is a force that can make all 5 forces do things, with emphasis on fifth force of life that supposedly doesn't exist as such. And i don't mean only plants and animals, our mind can also make our own body do things we are not consciously aware, at least not right away. That's why so many accidents happened over entire human history, perhaps today less than ever before, no matter how dangerous and complicated modern civilization actually is, deadly to all other living forms. It's because city people doesn't think about all kinds of present danger, they don't look at objects as potential threat but something meaningful and predictable people know how to avoid or prevent. We live because we are thought to create mental images of successful escape and rescue, we trust our security measures, can imagine how they'll save our lives in certain situations. It makes sense, if you intent to be safe and successful, this is what nature will adopt to, but if you're constantly afraid of all bad things that can happen to you, it's just a question of time until they will. This is a great puzzle, what is mind actually influencing, is it our own brain that's more alert and shape itself or universe must curve and twirl, so it can became what a dreamer envisioned. Maybe at least to some extend or only in certain details, but still much, much more than what nature could imagine without intention of physical human thought.

[marcosgalvao]

Intentionality is a exclusive property of consciousness . Period

[jeffamos]

What is a black cat’s intentionality? CATastrophe

[nickrindal]

Intentionality works because of dark matter and dark energy.. the archetypal thought form allows it to happen.

The brain is just the mechanism that connects mind to the physical. It's like a filter.. but its not the substance.

When you think of say an apple.. you are generating a thought form of an apple. You are visualizing the spatial representation of the thing.. it's just conscious volumes of space.. is it a physical apple? No.. it's a mental apple which is fundamentally the same thing as the dark matter that forms a real apple.

I cant explain dark matter and dark energy in exact terms because how do you define a thing when the only way to define it is with that thing.. it becomes circular and confusing to people in my experience.

Bottom line is that dark matter and dark energy are the foundations of reality.. well actually nothingness is but nothing creates dark matter and dark energy in equal and opposite ratios.. which then bends around to manifest matter which is the intersection of the dm and de..

[tomkwake]

Intentionality is a sense we have to an energy field that precedes all physical manifestations. If human beings think about this, they can observe this relationship. Try getting up out of bed without intending to do so, all motion we have is preceded by accessing an intentional energy field which causes us to move. Think about it!

[daneracamosa]

You seem to be asking if there could be intentional ality without Consciousness or mind driving it as the modern materialist understands it. His answers were Silly at best. Disappointing. A modern example might be the current mobs that we see marching in streets. Does that mob as an entity have intentionality or is it simply random what they are doing? Certainly the individuals in the mob or at least most would not condone the actions of the mob and yet they are part of it. These are old questions but perhaps older than the gentleman you were talking to.

[douglasmccannpiano]

no definition of agency or intentionality... so no point here