group mind, a hypothetical mind, AKA a “hive mind,” that depends on members of a group such that it is not the mind of any one of the members of the group. The individual members of the group may either be individually mindless or individually in possession of minds distinct from the group mind.
The expressed group mind is often altered by opinions stated by those in power. When the group mind is expressed anonymously it often reveals a collective intelligence that is different than when attribution is attached to the individual thoughts of the contributors to the group mind. Ken of www.GroupMindExpress.com
ReplyDeleteHave you read Margaret Gilbert's anticipation of a lot of these ideas in On Social Facts, or Living Together. She thinks group psychological states irreducible to psychological states of their members are quite common - whenever we succeed in joint actions like walking together, to take a famous example of hers from a paper with that title ("Walking Together"). It's having quite an influence on my current research project.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tad. I haven't read that, but appreciate the recommendation. I'll check it out. Are you familiar with Austen Clark's J Phil paper "Beliefs and Desires, Inc."?
ReplyDeleteYeah - I love Clark's paper. Quote it a lot.
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