A note on Cognitive Psychology and Scientific Realism

Abstract

A received thesis in psychology and philosophy links cognitive psychology to scientific realism, on the one hand, and behaviorism to antirealist positions, on the other hand. In this not we question the validity of the received view. Beyond slogans, a deeper examination suggests that the confluence between cognitive psychology and scientific realism is weaker than usually assumed. We try to explain why cognitivism cannot be easily reconcild with scientific realism. We sketch the implications of this thesis for behaviorism.