The Failure of Logical Behaviorism (Putnam)

Consider pain:

According to the Logical Behaviorist, the statement that

Johnny feels pain

is reducible to the statement

Johnny has a certain cluster of behavioral dispositions

whereas the usual approach is to say that

Johnny has a certain cluster of behavioral dispositions

because

Johnny feels pain

The Story of the Super-Spartans:

Imagine a world of Super-Spartans. Super-Spartans have the amazing ability to suppress any involuntary pain-behavior whatsoever. No jumping up and down upon stubbing a toe; no jerking of the hand back from the hot stove. Nothing.

The Super-Spartan feels the pain just as much as you and I. Unlike you and I, there are no involuntary pain-behaviors associated with the feeling of pain because, of course, they are Super-Spartans.

The feeling of pain for a Super-Spartan cannot be reduced to a cluster of behavioral dispositions.

What about verbal dispositions to utter “I'm hurt!”, “Damn, that stings!”, or just plain “Ow!”?

The Story of the Super-Duper-Spartans

Super-Duper-Spartans are Super-Spartans who are so good at suppressing pain-behaviors that they never even talk about pain, even when they are experiencing it.

Hence statements about pain are not reducible to statements about dispositions.