Context selection and the frame problem - Commentary

Sperber and Wilson (1987) have criticised Fodor's (1983) pessimistic view about the possibility of a science of central systems. Fodor's pessimism stems from the holistic nature of central systems - people can access anything that they know when engaging in belief fixation. It is argued that Sperber and Wilson's theory of how relevance is realized during verbal comprehension fails to elucidate this crucial aspect of central processes. Their claims about how a context is selected are shown to presuppose the ability to realize relevance.