Minds and Machines 20 (2):165-181 (2010)
Authors |
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Abstract |
This paper deals with the question: how is computation best individuated?
1. The semantic view of computation: computation is best individuated by its semantic properties.
2. The causal view of computation: computation is best individuated by its causal properties.
3. The functional view of computation: computation is best individuated by its functional properties.
Some scientific theories explain the capacities of brains by appealing to computations that they supposedly perform. The reason for that is usually that computation is individuated semantically. I criticize the reasons in support of this view and its presupposition of representation and semantics. Furthermore, I argue that the only justified appeal to a representational individuation of computation might be that it is partly individuated by implicit intrinsic representations.
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Keywords | Computation Semantics Representation Cognitive science Cognition Mental states Mechanistic explanation Causal properties |
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Reprint years | 2010 |
DOI | 10.1007/s11023-010-9199-6 |
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References found in this work BETA
Computation and Cognition: Toward a Foundation for Cognitive Science.Zenon W. Pylyshyn - 1984 - Cambridge: MIT Press.
From Folk Psychology to Cognitive Science: The Case Against Belief.Stephen P. Stich - 1983 - MIT Press.
View all 51 references / Add more references
Citations of this work BETA
From Computer Metaphor to Computational Modeling: The Evolution of Computationalism.Marcin Miłkowski - 2018 - Minds and Machines 28 (3):515-541.
The Indeterminacy of Computation.Nir Fresco, B. Jack Copeland & Marty J. Wolf - 2021 - Synthese 199 (5-6):12753-12775.
The False Dichotomy Between Causal Realization and Semantic Computation.Marcin Miłkowski - 2017 - Hybris. Internetowy Magazyn Filozoficzny 38:1-21.
Objections to Computationalism: A Survey.Marcin Miłkowski - 2018 - Roczniki Filozoficzne 66 (3):57-75.
View all 13 citations / Add more citations
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