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Instrumentalism vs Functionalism - What's the difference?

instrumentalism | functionalism |

In philosophy terms the difference between instrumentalism and functionalism

is that instrumentalism is in the philosophy of science, the view that concepts and theories are merely useful instruments whose worth is measured not by whether the concepts and theories are true or false (or correctly depict reality), but how effective they are in explaining and predicting phenomena while functionalism is the definition of mental states in terms of their causes and effects.

instrumentalism

English

(wikipedia instrumentalism)

Noun

(-)
  • (philosophy) In the philosophy of science, the view that concepts and theories are merely useful instruments whose worth is measured not by whether the concepts and theories are true or false (or correctly depict reality), but how effective they are in explaining and predicting phenomena.
    • English words suffixed with -ism

    functionalism

    English

    Noun

    (-)
  • (architecture) A doctrine, in several fields, that the function of something should be reflected in its design and the materials used in its construction
  • (philosophy) The definition of mental states in terms of their causes and effects
  • (social science) The idea that social and cultural cohesion are a function of the interdependence and interactions of the institutions of a society
  • (psychology) A general school of thought that considers psychological phenomena in terms of their role in adaptation to the person's environment