Tutorial # 4. The Intentional Stance. In a Nutshell

From The Dictionary of Philosophy of Mind

Picture from Dan Dennett's website

"intentional stance, the - A strategy, proposed and defended by Daniel Dennett, for understanding an entity's behavior. When adopting the intentional stance towards an entity, we attempt to explain and predict its behavior by treating it as if it were a rational agent whose actions are governed by its beliefs and desires. The intentional stance contrasts with two other strategies, the physical stance and the design stance."