Philosophy and the Scientific Image of Man

Wilfrid Sellars's essay "Philosophy and the Scientific Image of Man" (1960) explores the challenge of reconciling the "scientific image" of reality with the "manifest image" of human experience. The scientific image, derived from scientific theories, presents a picture of the world in terms of fundamental entities and laws. In contrast, the manifest image is the framework through which humans perceive themselves and their world, encompassing concepts like consciousness, reason, and moral agency.12

Sellars argued that science is the ultimate arbiter of existence, but his project aimed to integrate aspects of human experience that seem to resist scientific explanation, such as how humans ought to act. He proposed a theory of conceptual roles, emphasizing how language and social interaction shape our understanding. Sellars also contributed to the philosophy of mind with functionalism, suggesting mental states are defined by their roles in thought, and that these could, in principle, be realized in computers. He believed that a complete understanding requires reconciling the scientific view with a language of intentions that captures human personhood and its normative dimensions.12