Definition of "functionalism" [functionalism]

• The doctrine that the function of an object should determine its design and materials. (noun)
• A doctrine stressing purpose, practicality, and utility. (noun)
• Philosophy The doctrine in the philosophy of mind according to which mental states are defined by their causes and effects. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "In many ways, neo-functionalism is hard-wired into the EU, certainly among the Eurocrats in Brussels."
• "As is Dennett's functionalism, which is a denial of mental states at all, including "intent", which is what Schwartz is relying upon."
• "Philosophical behaviourism has long been rejected; what was worth keeping has been appropriated by the philosophical doctrine of functionalism, which is the most widely accepted view in philosophy of mind today."