Gilbert Ryle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gilbert Ryle
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Portrait by Rex Whistler
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| Born | 19 August 1900 Brighton, England
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| Died | 6 October 1976 (aged 76) Whitby, England
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| Alma mater | The Queen's College, Oxford |
| Era | 20th-century philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
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Gilbert Ryle (born August 19, 1900 – died October 6, 1976) was an important British philosopher. He is best known for criticizing an old idea called "Cartesian dualism." He famously called this idea the "ghost in the machine."
Ryle was part of a group of British philosophers who focused on ordinary language. This means they looked closely at how we use words every day to solve philosophical problems. Some of his ideas about the mind are similar to logical behaviourism. In his famous book, The Concept of Mind (1949), he said his work could be seen as a study of how we experience things.
Contents
About Gilbert Ryle
His Early Life and Education
Gilbert Ryle was born in Brighton, England, on August 19, 1900. He grew up in a family that loved learning. His father, Reginald John Ryle, was a doctor who also enjoyed philosophy and astronomy. He had a large library that Gilbert and his siblings could use.
Gilbert went to Brighton College for school. In 1919, he started studying at Queen's College at Oxford. He first studied classics, which includes ancient Greek and Roman history and languages. But he soon became very interested in philosophy. He did very well in his studies, earning top grades in several subjects.
His Career and Contributions
In 1924, Ryle became a philosophy lecturer at Christ Church, Oxford. A year later, he became a fellow and tutor there, teaching students until 1940.
During the Second World War, Ryle joined the Welsh Guards. He was good at languages, so he worked in military intelligence. By the end of the war, he was a Major.
After the war, he returned to Oxford. He became a professor of philosophy and a fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford. In 1949, he published his most famous book, The Concept of Mind. He also led the Aristotelian Society and was the editor of the important philosophy magazine Mind for many years. Gilbert Ryle passed away on October 6, 1976, in Whitby, England.
Ryle never married. In his later years, he lived with his twin sister, Mary. There is a portrait of him by the artist Rex Whistler.
Gilbert Ryle's Main Ideas
Understanding The Concept of Mind
In his book The Concept of Mind, Ryle argued against the idea of dualism. Dualism suggests that the mind and body are two completely separate things. Ryle believed this idea was a "category mistake."
What is a Category Mistake?
A category mistake happens when you treat something as if it belongs to a different group than it actually does. For example, imagine someone visits a university. They see the library, the classrooms, and the offices. Then they ask, "But where is the university?" The university isn't another building; it's the way all those buildings and activities work together. Ryle used this idea to explain why thinking of the mind as a separate "thing" from the body was a mistake. He called this mistaken idea the "ghost in the machine."
Knowing How vs. Knowing That
One important idea in The Concept of Mind is the difference between 'knowing-how' and 'knowing-that'.
- Knowing-that means having facts or information. For example, knowing that Queen Victoria died in 1901.
- Knowing-how means having a skill or ability. For example, knowing how to tie a reef knot.
This idea is still important today in philosophy and in understanding how our memory works.
Philosophy as a Mapmaking Skill
Ryle believed that philosophy is not about finding special, hidden objects like "the mind." Instead, he thought philosophical problems are about understanding how we use words and ideas.
He compared philosophy to cartography, which is mapmaking. Imagine a villager who knows their village very well. They know all the paths and where everyone lives. But if you ask them to read a map of their village, they might struggle. A mapmaker, however, can translate that everyday knowledge into a clear, public map.
Ryle thought philosophers are like mapmakers. They "map" the words and phrases we use. By doing this, they can see how different words connect and what they truly mean. This helps us understand complex ideas better.
What is Thick Description?
Ryle also introduced the idea of thick description. He said there are two ways to describe something:
- Thin description: This is just observing what happens on the surface. For example, "His right hand moved to his forehead, palm out."
- Thick description: This adds meaning and context to the action. It explains why someone did something and what it means in their culture. For example, "He saluted the General." The "thick" description tells us about the action's purpose and its social meaning.
Gilbert Ryle's Impact
Ryle's idea of thick description has been very important for people who study cultures, like Clifford Geertz.
His book The Concept of Mind was seen as a major work when it came out. However, in the 1960s and 1970s, new ideas about how the mind works, called cognitivism, became popular. These new ideas often focused on "internal" mental states, which Ryle had argued against.
However, in recent years, some new ideas in psychology have brought renewed interest in Ryle's work. One of Ryle's students, Daniel Dennett, who is also a famous philosopher, wrote a new introduction to The Concept of Mind in 2000. He said that Ryle's ideas are still very relevant today.
Books by Gilbert Ryle
- 1949. The Concept of Mind
- 1954. Dilemmas: The Tarner Lectures 1953
- 1966. Plato's Progress
- 1971. Collected Essays 1929 - 1968 (two volumes)
- 1977. Contemporary Aspects of Philosophy (editor)
- 1979. On Thinking
See also
In Spanish: Gilbert Ryle para niños
