Ebook: Connectionism and the Philosophy of Mind

This series will include monographs and collections of studies devoted to the investigation and exploration of knowledge, information and data­ processing systems of all kinds, no matter whether human, (other) animal, or machine. Its scope is intended to span the full range of interests from classical problems in the philosophy of mind and philosophical psychology through issues in cognitive psychology and sociobiology (concerning the mental capabilities of other species) to ideas related to artificial intelligence and to computer science. While primary emphasis will be placed upon theoretical, conceptual and epistemological aspects of these problems and domains, empirical, experimental and methodological studies will also appear from time to time. One of the most, if not the most, exciting developments within cognitive science has been the emergence of connectionism as an alternative to the computational conception of the mind that tends to dominate the discipline. In this volume, John Tienson and Terence Horgan have brought together a fine collection of stimulating studies on connectionism and its significance. As the Introduction explains, the most pressing questions concern whether or not connectionism can provide a new conception of the nature of mentality. By focusing on the similarities and differences between connectionism and other approaches to cognitive science, the chapters of this book supply valuable resources that advance our understanding of these difficult issues. J.H.F.

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xii
Introduction....Pages 1-29
Connectionism and the Philosophy of Mind: An Overview....Pages 30-59
Connectionism, Computation, and Cognition....Pages 60-73
Connectionism and the Notion of Levels....Pages 74-89
Representation and Rule-Instantiation in Connectionist Systems....Pages 90-112
What Connectionists Cannot Do: The Threat to Classical AI....Pages 113-142
Connectionism in Pavlovian Harness....Pages 143-166
Connectionism and Conditioning....Pages 167-197
Systematicity, Structured Representations and Cognitive Architecture: A Reply to Fodor and Pylyshyn....Pages 198-218
An Explanatory Budget for Connectionism and Eliminativism....Pages 219-240
Settling into a New Paradigm....Pages 241-260
Putting a Price on Cognition....Pages 261-280
The Constituent Structure of Connectionist Mental States: A Reply to Fodor and Pylyshyn....Pages 281-308
Representation in Pictorialism and Connectionism....Pages 309-330
Connectionism and the Problem of Systematicity: Why Smolensky’s Solution doesn’t Work....Pages 331-354
Classical Questions, Radical Answers: Connectionism and the Structure of Mental Representations....Pages 355-381
Connectionism Versus Symbolism in High-Level Cognition....Pages 382-416
Connectionism and the Specter of Representationalism....Pages 417-436
Is Perception Cognitively Mediated?....Pages 437-443
Leaping To Conclusions: Connectionism, Consciousness, and the Computational Mind....Pages 444-459
Back Matter....Pages 460-473

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xii
Introduction....Pages 1-29
Connectionism and the Philosophy of Mind: An Overview....Pages 30-59
Connectionism, Computation, and Cognition....Pages 60-73
Connectionism and the Notion of Levels....Pages 74-89
Representation and Rule-Instantiation in Connectionist Systems....Pages 90-112
What Connectionists Cannot Do: The Threat to Classical AI....Pages 113-142
Connectionism in Pavlovian Harness....Pages 143-166
Connectionism and Conditioning....Pages 167-197
Systematicity, Structured Representations and Cognitive Architecture: A Reply to Fodor and Pylyshyn....Pages 198-218
An Explanatory Budget for Connectionism and Eliminativism....Pages 219-240
Settling into a New Paradigm....Pages 241-260
Putting a Price on Cognition....Pages 261-280
The Constituent Structure of Connectionist Mental States: A Reply to Fodor and Pylyshyn....Pages 281-308
Representation in Pictorialism and Connectionism....Pages 309-330
Connectionism and the Problem of Systematicity: Why Smolensky’s Solution doesn’t Work....Pages 331-354
Classical Questions, Radical Answers: Connectionism and the Structure of Mental Representations....Pages 355-381
Connectionism Versus Symbolism in High-Level Cognition....Pages 382-416
Connectionism and the Specter of Representationalism....Pages 417-436
Is Perception Cognitively Mediated?....Pages 437-443
Leaping To Conclusions: Connectionism, Consciousness, and the Computational Mind....Pages 444-459
Back Matter....Pages 460-473
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