Ryle on the Explanatory Role of Knowledge How
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15173/jhap.v5i5.3206Abstract
Contemporary discussions of knowledge how typically focus on the question whether or not knowing how to do ϕ consists in propositional knowledge, and divide the field between intellectualists (who think that it does) and anti-intellectualists (who think that it does not, and that it consists instead in the possession of the ability to ϕ). This way of framing the issue is said to derive from Gilbert Ryle. I argue that this is a misreading of Ryle, whose primary interest in discussing knowledge how was not epistemological but rather action-theoretical, whose argument against intellectualism has for this reason been misunderstood and underestimated (by Jason Stanley, among others), and whose positive view aims to chart a middle course between intellectualism and anti-intellectualism.References
Annas, Julia, 2011. “Practical Expertise.” In Bengson and Moffett (2011a), pp. 101–12.
Anscombe, G. E. M., 1963. Intention, 2nd ed. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Austin, J. L., 1950. “Intelligent Behaviour: A Critical Review of The Concept of Mind.” Times Literary Supplement, 7 April 1950. Reprinted in Ryle: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by O. Wood and G. Pitcher, pp. 45–51. New York: Anchor Books, 1970.
Bengson, John and Marc A. Moffett, eds., 2011a. Knowing How: Essays on Knowledge, Mind, and Action. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Bengson, John and Marc A. Moffett, 2011b. “Two Conceptions of Mind and Action: Knowing How and the Philosophical Theory of Intelligence.” In Bengson and Moffett (2011a), pp. 3–55.
———, 2011c. “Non-Propositional Intellectualism.” In Bengson and Moffett (2011a), pp. 161–95.
Cath, Yuri, 2013. “Regarding a Regress.” Pacific Philosophical Quarterly 94: 358–88.
Dreyfus, Hubert L., 1992. What Computers Still Can’t Do: A Critique of Artificial Reason. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
———, 2005. “Overcoming the Myth of the Mental: How Philosophers Can Profit from the Phenomenology of Everyday Expertise.” Proceedings and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association 79: 47–65.
———, 2007a. “Detachment, Involvement, and Rationality: are we Essentially Rational Animals?” Human Affairs 17: 101–09.
———, 2007b. “The Return of the Myth of the Mental.” Inquiry 50: 352–65.
Fantl, Jeremy, 2008. “Knowing-How and Knowing-That.” Philosophy Compass 3: 451–70.
Frankfurt, Harry G., 1978. “The Problem of Action.” American Philosophical Quarterly 15: 157–62. Reprinted in The Importance of What We Care About and Other Essays, pp. 69–79. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988.
Fridland, Ellen, 2012. “Problems with Intellectualism.” Philosophical Studies 165: 879–91.
———, 2014. “They’ve Lost Control: Reflections on Skill.” Synthese 191: 2729–50.
Ginet, Carl, 1975. Knowledge, Perception, and Memory. Boston: D. Reidel.
Hornsby, Jennifer, 2004a. “Agency and Actions.” Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplements 55: 1–23.
———, 2004b. “Agency and Alienation.” In Naturalism in Question, edited by Mario De Caro and David Macarthur, pp. 173–87. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
———, 2011. “Ryle’s Knowing-How and Knowing How to Act.” In Bengson and Moffett (2011a), pp. 80–98.
Hyman, John, 2015. Action, Knowledge, and Will. New York: Oxford University Press.
Kenny, Anthony, 1989. The Metaphysics of Mind. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Kremer, Michael, 2017. “Ryle’s ‘Intellectualist Legend’ in Historical Context.” Journal for the History of Analytical Philosophy 5.5: 16–39. (This issue.)
McDowell, John, 2007a. “What Myth?” Inquiry 50: 338–51.
———, 2007b. “Response to Dreyfus.” Inquiry 50: 366–70.
———, 2013. “The Myth of the Mind as Detached.” In Mind, Reason and Being-in-the-World, edited by Joseph K. Schear, pp. 41–58. London: Routledge.
Ryle, Gilbert, 1946a. “Knowing How and Knowing That.” Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 46: 1–16. Reprinted in Ryle (2009), pp. 222–35.
———, 1946b. “Why are the Calculuses of Logic and Arithmetic Applicable to Reality?” Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, suppl. vol. 20. Reprinted in Ryle (2009), pp. 236–43.
———, 1949. The Concept of Mind. London and New York: Routledge.
———, 1962. “A Rational Animal.” Originally delivered as the Auguste Comte Memorial Lecture, published 1962 by the Athlone Press. Reprinted in Ryle (2009), pp. 428–47.
———, 1967. “Teaching and Training.” In The Concept of Education, edited by R. S. Peters. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. Reprinted in Ryle (2009), pp. 464–78.
———, 2009. Collected Papers, vol. 2, Collected Essays 1929–1968. London and New York: Routledge.
Sax, Greg, 2010. “Having Know-How: Intellect, Action, and Recent Work on Ryle’s Distinction Between Knowledge-How and Knowledge-That.” Pacific Philosophical Quarterly 91: 507–30.
Setiya, Kieran, 2012. “Knowing How.” Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 112: 285–307.
Small, Will, 2012. “Practical Knowledge and the Structure of Action.” In Rethinking Epistemology, vol. 2, edited by Günter Abel and James Conant, pp. 133–227. Berlin: Berlin Studies in Knowledge Research, De Gruyter.
———, 2014. “The Transmission of Skill.” Philosophical Topics 42: 85–111.
Stanley, Jason, 2011a. Know How. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
———, 2011b. “Knowing (How).” Noûs 45: 207–38.
———, 2012. “Replies to Dickie, Schroeder and Stalnaker.” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 85: 762–78.
Stanley, Jason and John W. Krakauer, 2013. “Motor Skill Depends on Knowledge of Facts.” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 7: 1–11.
Stanley, Jason and Timothy Williamson, 2001. “Knowing How.” The Journal of Philosophy 98: 411–44.
Velleman, J. David, 1992. “What Happens When Someone Acts?” Mind n.s. 101: 461–81.
Vetter, Barbara, 2013. “Multi-Track Dispositions.” The Philosophical Quarterly 63: 330–52.
Anscombe, G. E. M., 1963. Intention, 2nd ed. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Austin, J. L., 1950. “Intelligent Behaviour: A Critical Review of The Concept of Mind.” Times Literary Supplement, 7 April 1950. Reprinted in Ryle: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by O. Wood and G. Pitcher, pp. 45–51. New York: Anchor Books, 1970.
Bengson, John and Marc A. Moffett, eds., 2011a. Knowing How: Essays on Knowledge, Mind, and Action. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Bengson, John and Marc A. Moffett, 2011b. “Two Conceptions of Mind and Action: Knowing How and the Philosophical Theory of Intelligence.” In Bengson and Moffett (2011a), pp. 3–55.
———, 2011c. “Non-Propositional Intellectualism.” In Bengson and Moffett (2011a), pp. 161–95.
Cath, Yuri, 2013. “Regarding a Regress.” Pacific Philosophical Quarterly 94: 358–88.
Dreyfus, Hubert L., 1992. What Computers Still Can’t Do: A Critique of Artificial Reason. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
———, 2005. “Overcoming the Myth of the Mental: How Philosophers Can Profit from the Phenomenology of Everyday Expertise.” Proceedings and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association 79: 47–65.
———, 2007a. “Detachment, Involvement, and Rationality: are we Essentially Rational Animals?” Human Affairs 17: 101–09.
———, 2007b. “The Return of the Myth of the Mental.” Inquiry 50: 352–65.
Fantl, Jeremy, 2008. “Knowing-How and Knowing-That.” Philosophy Compass 3: 451–70.
Frankfurt, Harry G., 1978. “The Problem of Action.” American Philosophical Quarterly 15: 157–62. Reprinted in The Importance of What We Care About and Other Essays, pp. 69–79. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988.
Fridland, Ellen, 2012. “Problems with Intellectualism.” Philosophical Studies 165: 879–91.
———, 2014. “They’ve Lost Control: Reflections on Skill.” Synthese 191: 2729–50.
Ginet, Carl, 1975. Knowledge, Perception, and Memory. Boston: D. Reidel.
Hornsby, Jennifer, 2004a. “Agency and Actions.” Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplements 55: 1–23.
———, 2004b. “Agency and Alienation.” In Naturalism in Question, edited by Mario De Caro and David Macarthur, pp. 173–87. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
———, 2011. “Ryle’s Knowing-How and Knowing How to Act.” In Bengson and Moffett (2011a), pp. 80–98.
Hyman, John, 2015. Action, Knowledge, and Will. New York: Oxford University Press.
Kenny, Anthony, 1989. The Metaphysics of Mind. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Kremer, Michael, 2017. “Ryle’s ‘Intellectualist Legend’ in Historical Context.” Journal for the History of Analytical Philosophy 5.5: 16–39. (This issue.)
McDowell, John, 2007a. “What Myth?” Inquiry 50: 338–51.
———, 2007b. “Response to Dreyfus.” Inquiry 50: 366–70.
———, 2013. “The Myth of the Mind as Detached.” In Mind, Reason and Being-in-the-World, edited by Joseph K. Schear, pp. 41–58. London: Routledge.
Ryle, Gilbert, 1946a. “Knowing How and Knowing That.” Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 46: 1–16. Reprinted in Ryle (2009), pp. 222–35.
———, 1946b. “Why are the Calculuses of Logic and Arithmetic Applicable to Reality?” Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, suppl. vol. 20. Reprinted in Ryle (2009), pp. 236–43.
———, 1949. The Concept of Mind. London and New York: Routledge.
———, 1962. “A Rational Animal.” Originally delivered as the Auguste Comte Memorial Lecture, published 1962 by the Athlone Press. Reprinted in Ryle (2009), pp. 428–47.
———, 1967. “Teaching and Training.” In The Concept of Education, edited by R. S. Peters. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. Reprinted in Ryle (2009), pp. 464–78.
———, 2009. Collected Papers, vol. 2, Collected Essays 1929–1968. London and New York: Routledge.
Sax, Greg, 2010. “Having Know-How: Intellect, Action, and Recent Work on Ryle’s Distinction Between Knowledge-How and Knowledge-That.” Pacific Philosophical Quarterly 91: 507–30.
Setiya, Kieran, 2012. “Knowing How.” Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 112: 285–307.
Small, Will, 2012. “Practical Knowledge and the Structure of Action.” In Rethinking Epistemology, vol. 2, edited by Günter Abel and James Conant, pp. 133–227. Berlin: Berlin Studies in Knowledge Research, De Gruyter.
———, 2014. “The Transmission of Skill.” Philosophical Topics 42: 85–111.
Stanley, Jason, 2011a. Know How. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
———, 2011b. “Knowing (How).” Noûs 45: 207–38.
———, 2012. “Replies to Dickie, Schroeder and Stalnaker.” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 85: 762–78.
Stanley, Jason and John W. Krakauer, 2013. “Motor Skill Depends on Knowledge of Facts.” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 7: 1–11.
Stanley, Jason and Timothy Williamson, 2001. “Knowing How.” The Journal of Philosophy 98: 411–44.
Velleman, J. David, 1992. “What Happens When Someone Acts?” Mind n.s. 101: 461–81.
Vetter, Barbara, 2013. “Multi-Track Dispositions.” The Philosophical Quarterly 63: 330–52.
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