>but this IS a form of functionalist explanation! no intentions on the part
>of individuals need be involved at all. i thought we covered this
>recently!?
>
>
>kelley
>
Functionalist explanation may be intentional. It doesn't deprive an
expalantion of its functional caharcter to say that X exists, persists,
whatever, because it promotes Y, and people put it there because they
thought it would ptomote Y. E.g., that elimianting welfare is promotes
profit-maximization, and that's why Clinton eliminated welfare. That's an
intentional-functional explanation. (See my "Functional Explanation and
Metaphysical Individualism," Phil of Science 1993.)
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