Reading Comprehension

PT115 · S1 · P4 · Q24 Theory of the Mind

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Some of the philosophers find the traditional, subjective approach to studying the mind outdated and ineffectual.

Topic

The debate between subjective and objective approaches to studying the mind.

Framework

Present Debate

Main Point

Philosophers clash over whether to study the mind through subjective introspection or objective scientific methods, but genuine progress in the debate will require evaluating the authority and limitations of both perspectives—possibly leading to new ways of understanding the mind. The Most Valuable Sentence is at the end of the final paragraph:

P1: Introduction to Objectivist View

A group of philosophers think the old approach of describing inner feelings (like pain or anger) is outdated; they argue scientific, externally observable data is far more reliable and effective for understanding the mind, just as it is for other sciences.

P2: The Subjectivist Rebuttal

Subjectivist philosophers push back, arguing that knowledge must include subjective experience and introspection, and question why only objective data should "count."

P3: Lack of Common Ground

The passage suggests these two approaches can't easily reconcile, and the main problem is that the sides don't share enough foundational beliefs to make productive dialogue possible.

24.

According to the passage, subjectivists advance which one of the following claims to support their charge that objectivism is faulty?

  1. Objectivism rests on evidence that

    Too Strong

    Subjectivists were saying that when scientific data conflicts with data from introspection, we should give priority to the introspective data. But they weren't saying, as this answer suggests, that all scientific data conflicts with introspection. A better version of this answer would say, "Objectivism would give priority to scientific data, even when that data conflicts with introspection".

    36% picked this

  2. Correct

    Objectivism restricts the kinds of

    Why this is right

    This matches up with the end of the 2nd paragraph, where subjectivists are objecting, "Why should we reduce the sources of knowledge to only those data that can be discerned objectively?" Subjectivists think it's silly to only look at scientific, externally observable data, when "knowledge relies on the data of experience, which includes subjective experience".

    Skill tested: Locate Detail · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.

    59% picked this

  3. Objectivism relies on data that

    Too Strong: only by

    The subjectivists never complained that only specialists can describe or interpret objective data. Objective data is just measurable data. It could be something like "how heavy is this object? how high did this thing jump? how long did it take for the balloon to inflate?" We can describe data like that as "something that can be described and interpreted only by a specialist".

    3% picked this

  4. Objectivism provides no context in

    Too Strong: no context

    This is just too harsh and matches up with nothing in the 2nd paragraph. The subjectivists did not complain that objectivism makes it impossible to think of scientific data as relevant to philosophical questions. If anything, the first paragraph is making it seem like objectivists want to try addressing philosophical questions by using objective data, so they are certainly intending for scientific data to be relevant to these questions.

    2% picked this

  5. Objectivism concerns itself with questions

    Unsupported: untraditional questions

    Nothing in the 2nd paragraph is complaining about objectivists pursuing questions that aren't traditional philosophical questions.

    1% picked this

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