The Theory of Mind debate in philosophy of mind examines how we understand and predict others’ mental states. Traditionally, this debate has been framed by the distinction between theory theory (TT), which holds that we rely on an implicit theory of folk psychology, and simulation theory (ST), which claims that we understand others by imaginatively simulating their perspectives (Goldman, 2006). Although extensively developed in philosophy and enriched by empirical research in psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive science, the debate has remained largely conceptual or experimentally pursued by non-philosophers. Then came the pluralistic folk psychology accounts (Spaulding, 2018), emphasising that folk psychology is complex, context-sensitive, culturally variable, and often narrative-driven. On this view, such diversity undermines the traditional TT-ST framework as too narrow. However, these pluralist critiques are themselves largely theoretical and do not decisively demonstrate that surface-level variability reflects deep conceptual disunity.
My thesis argues that experimental philosophy (Knobe & Nichols, 2008) provides a methodological bridge by treating the conceptual architecture of folk psychology as an empirical question. Using systematic surveys of ordinary intuitions, it examines whether people rely on the traditional framework at all and, if so, whether they primarily employ theory-like reasoning, simulation, or a flexible combination of both across contexts. Rather than discarding the traditional model, this approach tests its empirical resilience and investigates whether TT and ST operate as complementary strategies within an adaptive conceptual structure.
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About the Speaker:
Annie Mukherjee is a Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Philosophy, Jadavpur University. Her work is situated at the intersection of Philosophy of Mind and Experimental Philosophy, with a particular emphasis on the application of experimental methodology to evaluate certain theories of mind. She has two forthcoming publications in this domain. She completed her B.A., M.A. (as a Gold Medallist, securing first position in her class), and M.Phil. in Philosophy from Jadavpur University.
Beyond her academic pursuits, she is passionate about music and regularly performs on various platforms.