The philosopher Jerry Fodor, who has died aged 82, was the leading exponent of the philosophy of mind in a period when it became the discipline’s most prominent area. However, the language of thought is not English or any other natural language but an innate, species-wide language. Fodor came to call this highly controversial doctrine the representation theory of mind, and it remained his central commitment throughout the rest of his career. Born in New York, Jerry was the son of Andrew Fodor, a research bacteriologist, and his wife, Kay (nee Rubens). • Jerry Alan Fodor, philosopher, born 22 April 1935; died 29 November 2017

Source: The Guardian December 06, 2017 17:03 UTC