An utterance can have Intentionality, just as a belief has Intentionality, but whereas the Intentionality of the belief is intrinsic the Intentionality of the utterance is derived.

Our tools are extensions of our purposes, and so we find it natural to make metaphorical attributions of intentionality to them; but I take it no philosophical ice is cut by such examples.

The Intentionality of the mind not only creates the possibility of meaning, but limits its forms.

We often attribute 'understanding' and other cognitive predicates by metaphor and analogy to cars, adding machines, and other artifacts, but nothing is proved by such attributions.

I want to block some common misunderstandings about "understanding": In many of these discussions one finds a lot of fancy footwork about the word "understanding."

You can't *discover* that the brain is a digital computer. You can only *interpret* the brain as a digital computer.

Many people mistakenly suppose that the essence of consciousness is that of a control mechanism

Where consciousness is concerned, the appearance is the reality.

"Akrasia" [weakness of will] in rational beings is as common as wine in France.

The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean that but also to mean something else.

Whatever is referred to must exist. Let us call this the axiom of existence.

How could I be sleeping with this particular man.... Surely only true love could justify my lack of taste.

Don’t overact the story of your name. Overact the story of your work.

It's easier to bleed than sweat, Mr. Motes.

Insomnia is his mind's revenge for all the tricky thoughts he has carefully avoided during the daylight hours.

The world belongs to the Enthusiast who keeps cool.

That which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny. Be it through intention or ignorance, our successes and our failures have been brought on by none other than ourselves.

If you have been given a word from God, you must continue in that direction until it comes to pass (even twenty five years like Abraham).

I think it is important to do what you believe in and ignore the critics.

Strange—we are always inhabiting more than one realm of existence—but they all fit in if the art is right.

Walt Whitman and Emerson are the poets who have given the world more than anyone else. Perhaps Whitman is not so widely read in England, but England never appreciates a poet until he is dead.