Minds, Brains, Computers An Historical Introduction to the Foundations of Cognitive Science

by Cummins, Robert

• ISBN13: 9780631212591
• ISBN10: 0631212590
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-10-15
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• More Book Details
• Purchase Benefits

Summary

Minds, Brains, Computers serves as both an historical and interdisciplinary introduction to the foundations of cognitive science. Tracing the history of central concepts from the nineteenth century to the present, this study surveys the significant contributions of philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and computer science. The volume also investigates the theory of mind from two contrasting approaches: the digital computer vs. neural network models. Authoritative and comprehensive, this is the ideal text for introductory courses in cognitive science as well as an excellent supplementary text for courses in philosophy of mind.

Author Biography

Robert M. Harnish is Professor of Philosophy and Linguistics, and Research Scientist in Cognitive Science at the University of Arizona. He is co-author, with Adrian Akmajian, of Linguistics (Fifth Edition, 2000), and, with Kent Bach, of Linguistic Communication and Speech Acts (1979) his is also editor of Basic Topics in the Philosophy of Language (1994), and co-editor of Neural Connections, Mental Computation (1989), and The Representation of Knowledge and Belief (1986).

Table of Contents

List of Figures	x
Preface	xv
Acknowledgments	xvii
Introduction: What is Cognitive Science?	1	(1)
Broad Construal	2	(2)
Narrow Construal	4	(1)
Cognition: Broad and Narrow	4	(1)
Computation: Broad and Narrow	5	(1)
The Working Conception of Cognitive Science	6	(9)
Appendix 1978 Sloan Report	7	(1)
Study Questions	8	(1)
Suggested Reading	9	(6)
Part I Historical Background
Introduction	15	(1)
Associationism	16	(21)
Introduction: What is Associationism?	16	(1)
Generic Empiricist Associationism	16	(2)
Varieties of Associationism	18	(1)
Locke and James	19	(14)
The End of Classical Associationism	33	(4)
Study Questions	34	(1)
Suggested Reading	35	(2)
Behaviorism and Cognitivism	37	(18)
Introduction	37	(1)
The Rise of Behaviorism and Stimulus-Response Psychology	37	(6)
Challenges to Behaviorism and Stimulus-Response Psychology	43	(2)
Cognitivism: Information Processing Psychology	45	(10)
Study Questions	52	(1)
Suggested Reading	53	(2)
Biological Background	55	(24)
Introduction	55	(1)
Brain Ventricles vs. Brain Substance	55	(5)
Cortical Localization vs. Holism	60	(6)
Nerve Net Theory vs. the Neuron Doctrine	66	(5)
The First Half of the Twentieth Century	71	(8)
Study Questions	76	(1)
Suggested Reading	77	(2)
Neuro-Logical Background	79	(28)
Introduction	79	(1)
Neural Networks and the Logic of Propositions	80	(5)
Perceptrons	85	(5)
Linear Separability and XOR: McCulloch and Pitts Nets and Perceptrons	90	(5)
Simple Detector Semantics	95	(10)
Study Questions	100	(2)
Suggested Reading	102	(3)
Part II The Digital Computational Theory of Mind
Introduction	105	(2)
A Sample Artificial Intelligence Model: SHRDLU	107	(17)
Introduction	107	(1)
SHRDLU Dialogue	108	(8)
The Program	116	(3)
Limitations	119	(2)
Historical Role of SHRDLU	121	(3)
Study Questions	122	(1)
Suggested Reading	122	(2)
Architecture(s)	124	(29)
Introduction: Some Preliminary Concepts	124	(2)
Turning Machines	126	(6)
von Neumann Machines	132	(7)
Production Systems	139	(5)
Intermezzo: Pandemonium	144	(3)
Taxonomizing Architectures (I)	147	(6)
Study Questions	149	(2)
Suggested Reading	151	(2)
Representation(s)	153	(25)
Introduction	153	(2)
The Variety of Representations: Some Standard High-level Formats	155	(16)
The Nature of Digital Computational Representation	171	(7)
Study Questions	174	(1)
Suggested Reading	175	(3)
The Digital Computational Theory of Mind	178	(47)
Introduction	178	(1)
From the Representational Theory of Mind to the Computational Theory of Mind	179	(11)
The Digital Computational Theory of Mind and the Language of Thought	190	(3)
DCTM and the Mind-Body Problem	193	(9)
DCTM and Representational Content	202	(6)
DCTM and Consciousness (I)	208	(5)
Modular (Cognitive) Architectures	213	(12)
Appendix Modularity: Gall vs. Fodor	218	(1)
Study Questions	219	(3)
Suggested Reading	222	(3)
Criticisms of the Digital Computational Theory of Mind	225	(48)
Introduction: The Turing Test (Again)	225	(2)
Against Strong AI: Searle and the Chinese Room	227	(4)
The Digital Computational Mind in the Chinese Room	231	(5)
The DCTM and Consciousness (II)	236	(8)
The DCTM and Mental Content	244	(6)
Against Cognitivism	250	(9)
DCTM Hardware and the Brain	259	(4)
The Domain and Scope of the DCTM	263	(10)
Study Questions	266	(4)
Suggested Reading	270	(3)
Part III The Connectionist Computational Theory of Mind	273	(121)
Introduction	275	(1)
Sample Connectionist Networks	276	(13)
Introduction	276	(1)
Jets and Sharks	276	(4)
NET talk	280	(9)
Study Questions	287	(1)
Further Reading	288	(1)
Connectionism: Basic Notions and Variations	289	(41)
Introduction	289	(1)
Basic Notions and Terminology	289	(15)
Learning and Training	304	(13)
Representation(s)	317	(8)
Generic Connectionism	325	(5)
Study Questions	327	(1)
Suggested Reading	328	(2)
The Connectionist Computational Theory of Mind	330	(29)
Introduction	330	(1)
The Connectionist Computational Theory of Mind	330	(2)
Motivations for the CCTM	332	(3)
A Bit of History: Connectionism and Associationism	335	(2)
Interpreting Connectionism: PTC	337	(14)
Taxonomizing Architectures (II)	351	(8)
Appendix Connectionism and Turing's Unorganized Machines	353	(3)
Study Questions	356	(2)
Suggested Reading	358	(1)
Criticisms of the Connectionist Computational Theory of Mind	359	(35)
Introduction	359	(1)
Differences: The CCTM and the Brain	359	(3)
CCTM: The Lures of Connectionism	362	(5)
CCTM and the Chinese Gym	367	(4)
CCTM and Propositional Attitudes	371	(12)
CCTM Detector Semantics	383	(6)
CCTM: Problems and Prospects	389	(5)
Study Questions	390	(2)
Suggested Reading	392	(2)
Coda: Computation for Cognitive Science, or What IS a Computer, Anyway?	394	(19)
Introduction	394	(1)
Functional View of Computers	395	(3)
Levels of Description View of Computers	398	(5)
Combined Functional-Descriptive View of Computers	403	(1)
Levels of Computation: Stabler	404	(3)
Digital and Connectionist Computers	407	(3)
Is Everything a Computer?	410	(3)
Study Questions	411	(1)
Suggested Reading	412	(1)
Bibliography	413	(21)
Index	434