A Critical Evaluation of Searle's Connection Principle

This paper critically evaluates Searle's Connection Principle (CP). First, the CP will be presented in one of its published forms and its numbered steps will be briefly commented upon. Then two issues will be raised. (1) The crucial notion of aspectual shape will turn out to be ambiguous: it allows for a narrow conception and a broad conception. The CP requires the broad conception, but there is no necessity to adopt it. (2) It will be shown that there are plausible candidates of occurrent unconscious intentional states, entities the possible existence of which the CP aims to rule out.