Intentionality is defined as a relationship between mental states of a human being and the external environment. This phenomenon determines and directs these mental states at certain objects, events, etc. It is an important element of mental experience, because intentionality directed it towards external world and gives our desires, sensations, feelings, believes certain content, certain orientation. This happens very often, because as a rule our perception, our thinking and experiencing are intentional, as we always perceive, experience something as something existed in the external world or given to us. The notion of intentionality has Scholastic origin, but nowadays it was reintroduced by Franz Bernando. The philosopher determined the notion as an important feature of physical phenomena and pointed out that the core of it was intentional inexistence of an object (Chisholm, 1967). Bernando states that almost every mental state or action has certain content, certain direction. He says that persons desires, thoughts, feelings, sensations are directed at certain objects, events of the environment. He also declares that all these external objects and events at which the mind is directed have one common characteristic called intentional inexistence. Bernando means that there is no mental state that could experience intentionality without having some intentional objects. In a word, a person could not love, hate, believe, perceive, etc without having an object to be loved, hated, believed or perceived. This is an essence of Bernandos notion intentional inexistence. Brentano claims that not every physical phenomena has its intentionality. Because he is sure that only mental states or acts can have it. Chisholm in his book Brentano on Descriptive Psychology and the Intentional (1967) agrees with these arguments of Brentano, explaining them in the terms of psychology. He says that when a person is eager to describe non-psychological phenomena, he does not need to use intentional words. But when a person wants to describe his emotions, feelings, desires, experience, etc, he has to include in this description intentional objects, to use intentional language. In the present work there were covered different points of view on the issue of intentionality - Brentanos, Dennetts and Dretskes. But they all agree that intentionality as a relationship between mental states and the external environment is an essential and important feature of consciousness. Buy custom essay Research papers & custom essays Custom written essays |
