Ryle (Gilbert Ryle)

Gilbert Ryle was a philosopher who challenged the idea that the mind is a separate, non-physical thing from the body. He argued that mental states, like beliefs or feelings, are better understood as activities or dispositions—ways of behaving or responding—rather than mysterious substances. Ryle famously called the mind a "category mistake," meaning people wrongly treat mental processes as if they are different kinds of things from physical actions. His view promotes understanding mental states as part of our observable behavior, emphasizing that mind and behavior are closely connected and should be studied together.