A. Course Mechanics
2. Methods for Studying the Mind PHILOSOPHY, AI
3. Computational Theories of the Mind AI
4. Neurological Theories of the Mind NEUROSCIENCE
5-6. Consciousness and Materialism PHILOSOPHY
7. Evolutionary Psychology PSYCHOLOGY
8. Vision and Visualization PSYCHOLOGY, AI
9. Concepts, Learning and Creativity PSYCHOLOGY, AI
10. Logic and Problem Solving AI, LOGIC
11. Emotions and their Social Roles PSYCHOLOGY, NEUROSCIENCE
12. Social Alliance and Conflict PSYCHOLOGY, NEUROSCIENCE
13. The Functions of Culture and Religion PSYCHOLOGY, PHILOSOPHY
14. Morality and Freedom of the Will PHILOSOPHY
The purpose of this classroom discussion was to introduce the Homuncular
Fallacy. Namely the idea that perception involves sending the information
from the senses to another little person (a homunculus) who then "views"
that information. The problem with this way of thinking about things is
that a scientific view of perception is supposed to explain how people
perceive. Such an explanation is circular if during it we mention a person
who is able to perceive.
I. Cognitive Science (like science in general) has its roots in philosophy, especially the philosophy of nature. All other sciences related to cog. sci. branched out of philosophy:
Plato: Death of the body amounts to freeing the soul from the distractions of the real world. So clearly the soul can outlive the body, and is separable from it. Knowledge for Plato is the communion of the soul with the world of forms.
Descartes: (and the Medieval Christian tradition). The Mind (Soul) is radically distinct from (and higher than) the body. It is eternal and therefore non-physical. It interacts with the physical world, but is essentially outside what physical science can explain. The Body/Brain is a complex "machine". Animals act in mechanical ways according to the dispositions of their organs. But men are different. Unlike animals, they can use words to express thoughts, and use reason to solve problems creatively. Since Descartes cannot imagine how a mechanism could do such sophisticated things, he assumes they are done by something spiritual: a rational soul.
Today: The general public believes in remnants of this view. Ghosts,
spirits, souls etc. are belived in by many. But there is a Fundamental
Problem for Dualism illustrated by this puzzle: If Caspar the friendly
ghost can walk through walls, then how can he also move objects? The problem
is how can the spiritual world interact with the natural world?
2. Naturalism (also called Materialism or Physicalism): There is nothing beyond the physical world so a Mind must be some feature or aspect of the Body . Some historical sources for this view follow:
Aristotle: Substances are composed of Matter and Form. Forms are the features or principles of objects, or what makes the object belong to a kind. For example a certain form is what makes something a chair, and a form is what makes an acorn grow into an oak tree. The form is part of what any Substance is. The soul is the form of a living body. It is a power to bring about self nutrition, growth, and (eventually) decay. So when body dies its form is lost as well.
La Mettrie: Man is a machine. Human thinking (like all else) is subject to the laws of nature.
Hobbes: Thought is processing of non-numerical symbols.
Leibniz: Reasoning is like numerical calculation (Ars Combinatoria).
Watson, Skinner: Behaviorist Psychology. There is nothing to explain except human behavior; the Mind/Soul is a myth.
Classical Cognitive Science: The Mind is not a myth. We can theorize about internal (or "subjective") states in scientifically acceptable ways. Thought is akin to the information processing carried out by symbolic computers, and this processing can be the subject of science.
Connectionism: A better theory of how the mind works can be forged by taking our cue from neurology. Forms of parallel computation (parallel distributed processing, neural nets) that are essentially non-symbolic are better suited to explaining how thinking works.
Evolutionary Psychology: Cognition is the functioning of an organ (the
brain) which is the product of the process of natural selection. Therefore
the nature of our thinking is not designed for some higher goals, (coming
to know the Forms) but it is a product of the nitty-gritty of the history
of its evolution. To understand the mind look at the needs of naked apes
banded into societies of hunter gatherers.
Aristotle: Perception is the sharing of the form of an object found in the outside world with the mind.
Galileo: He denies the idea that the Soul receives a copy of what
is in the external world.
Descartes: