In this note I describe the phenomenon, and list some of the questions we can take up.
Mental states, such as belief, are said to be ‘intentional’. That is, they are “of” or “about” or “directed upon” some object or objects. For example, Fred’s belief that spiders make fine pets is (on the face of it) about spiders. Alice’s belief that Fred should return Alice’s stockings is (apparently) about Fred and a pair of stockings. When someone believes something or hopes or fears or desires something, she represents objects in a certain way, as having certain characteristics. Intentional objects are represented objects.
