scholarly journals The Mind as Neural Software? Understanding Functionalism, Computationalism, and Computational Functionalism

Author(s):  
Gualtiero Piccinini
2020 ◽  
pp. 317-350
Author(s):  
Gualtiero Piccinini

This chapter discusses the connection between computation and consciousness. Three theses are sometimes conflated. Functionalism is the view that the mind is the functional organization of the brain. The Computational Theory of Mind (CTM) is the view that the whole mind—not only cognition but consciousness as well—has a computational explanation. When combined with the empirical discovery that the brain is the organ of the mind, CTM entails that the functional organization of the brain is computational. Computational functionalism is the conjunction of the two: the mind is the computational organization of the brain. Contrary to a common assumption, functionalism entails neither CTM nor computational functionalism. This finding makes room for an underexplored possibility: that consciousness be (at least partly) due to the functional organization of the brain without being computational in nature. This is a noncomputational version of functionalism about consciousness.


Problemos ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas Dagys

Straipsnyje tiriamos dvi XX a. viduryje išplėtotos funkcionalistinio sąmonės aiškinimo kryptys: D. Armstrongo ir D. Lewiso analitinis funkcionalizmas ir H. Putnamo komputacinis funkcionalizmas. Siekiama parodyti, kad šios dvi kryptys iš esmės sutampa metodologiniu požiūriu, tačiau jų atstovai suteikia savųjų teorijų metodologiniam pagrindui skirtingas ontologines interpretacijas. Sutardami, kad fizikinio būvio ir funkcinio būvio sąvokos skiriasi, jie nesutaria dėl to, ar funkcinio būvio sąvoką reikia laikyti išskiriančia atskirą ontologinę būvių kategoriją, ar ši sąvoka išreiškia tik skirtingą tų pačių fizikinių būvių identifikavimo realiame pasaulyje būdą. Šiame nesutarime iš esmės užsimezga šiuolaikinei sąmonės filosofijai būdinga kontroversija klausimu: savybių ontologija turi būti rekonstruojama intensiniu ar ekstensiniu pagrindu? Pagrindiniai žodžiai: funkcionalizmas, materializmas, įvairiopa realizacija, reduktyvistinės sąmonės teorijos. FUNCTIONALISM IN PHILOSOPHY OF MIND: METHODOLOGY OR ONTOLOGY?Jonas Dagys SummaryThe article investigates two functionalist accounts of the mind developed in the middle of the 20th century: analytical functionalism of David Armstrong and David Lewis and computational functionalism of Hilary Putnam. The aim is to show that the two accounts are identical from the methodological point of view, but their proponents give different ontological interpretations to the methodological base of their theories. While they agree that the concept of ‘functional state’ is different from the concept of ‘physical state’, they nevertheless disagree on whether ‘functional state’ should be taken to designate a distinct ontological kind of states or it should be taken as expressing a different way of identifying the same physical states in the actual world. This disagreement could be taken to mark the beginning of the controversy characteristic of contemporary philosophy of mind regarding the question whether the ontology of properties should be reconstructed on the intensive or extensive basis.Keywords: functionalism, materialism, multiple realizability, reductive theories of mind.


2018 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter DeScioli

AbstractThe target article by Boyer & Petersen (B&P) contributes a vital message: that people have folk economic theories that shape their thoughts and behavior in the marketplace. This message is all the more important because, in the history of economic thought, Homo economicus was increasingly stripped of mental capacities. Intuitive theories can help restore the mind of Homo economicus.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeannette Littlemore
Keyword(s):  

Author(s):  
W. T. Singleton
Keyword(s):  

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