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Naturalistic Imperative
The ultimate goal of cog sci
The holistic aim to Analyze, Formalize, and Mechanize cognition
Analyze
Explaining the mental in terms of the non-mental
Takes something big and breaks it down (Macro to micro)
“All is the moist” - Thales
Formalize
Representing a theory in a clear and concise way
FORMULAS are a part of this
Mechanize
Involves the changing of a concept/theory into a physical process
Limited in cog sci because of morals (i.e. you CAN’T use someone’s functioning brain)
Equivocation
The same term being used for different meanings
e.g. How different disciplines interpret the concept of “mind”
Generic Nominalism
Generic term for all of the separate sciences that make cognitive science up
Rejects equivocation, fragmentation, and the idea that the disciplines build off of each other
“Cognitive Sciences” refers to each discipline as one of the cognitive sciences
WEAKEST version of cog sci
Interdisciplinary Electiscism
Disciplines communicate BUT don’t interact. People pick and choose from different disciplines as needed
e.g. Interfaith dialogue
MOST UNSTABLE version of cog sci
Synoptic Integration
Vervaeke’s favorite
Sees to link all disciplines
Addresses the equivocation, deals with the fragmentation, and fills in the ignorance
Uses bridging vocabulary
STRONGEST version of cog sci
Elegance
Is multi-apt
Association NOT causation
Enough evidence leads to it (Seems logical)
Necessary half of a theory
TOO MUCH is farfetched (e.g. Conspiracy theories)
Convergence
Causation NOT association
Unbiased
Creates trustworthiness
Necessary half of a theory
TOO MUCH is trivial, it states the obvious (e.g. When people are hungry they eat food)
Plausibility
A quality a theory has as being reasonable or probable
Requires an equal balance of elegance and trustworthiness in order to be valid
Similarity
Things that share properties BUT are NOT identical (i.e. MORE things shared means they are MORE _________)
Logically it CAN’T explain categorization and psychologically it’s homuncular either way it’s USELESS
Categorization
Notice similarity and group things that ARE similar together
By grouping things together we DON’T have to treat all things as individual beings
Once we have a category of an entity we can simplify interactions with it
Homuncular Fallacy
When a concept is explained in terms of the concept itself
The concept of similarity has this problem
e.g. We can see something because there is a little man in our head who can see what we see and tells us, but he has a little man in his head who can see what he sees and tell him, etc.
Goodman’s Problem
Any two things can be deemed similar
When we define things we are actually equivocating
Key issue with resemblance theory
“Similarity is "invidious, insidious, a pretender, an imposter, a quack"
Resemblance Theory (Smith)
Theory that similarity causes categorization
Argued against by Lance Rips
Problems:
Categorization causes similarity
Similarity CAN’T be formalized
Equivocation of similarity
Classical Theory of Concepts
States that categorization is NOT similarity driven it is driven by concepts
Avoids all the problems of resemblance theory
6 features:
Meaning can be captured by a list of features
Features are atomic and ultimately primitive
Each feature has essence
Concepts generate categories
All members of the concept are equally good members
When organized into a taxonomic hierarchy we can get transitive inference
Concept
A mental definition
Essence
Set of features that are individually necessary and jointly sufficient
Prototype Theory
A cognitive psychological theory that suggests that when people categorize objects, they do so based on how similar the object is to a prototypical (or ideal) example of that category
Problems:
Conflicts with strict criteria (i.e. Math and formulas)
How do we create a prototype? (Creates a circular argument)
Concept boundaries are UNCLEAR or “fuzzy”
Typicality gradient (e.g. spoons)
Typicality Gradient
The concept that some things are MORE closely related to a category than other things
e.g. Robins are MORE typical than penguins
Micro-Theory Theory
A theory that states that concepts are small theories and are explanations of behavior
Breaking down BIG scientific theories into smaller ones
Problems:
DOESN’T help the naturalistic imperative
Homuncular (e.g. This theory is made up of smaller theories which are made up of even smaller theories which are… )
Reconstructive Memory
Memory is NOT reproductive
Your memory is NOT completely false BUT it only remembers what is meaningful and relevant
Whatever information you get from the past has to be reconstructed to current context because memory is ADAPTIVE
Linear Separability
Things either qualify or they DON’T there’s a fine line that separates the two
Transitivity
Being able to understand how objects are related to one another
e.g. If John is taller than Mary, and Mary is taller than Sue, then John is taller than Sue
Family Resemblance
Concepts DON'T share exactly the same features BUT there are some that overlap
Apt
Able to transfer broadly and deeply to many domains
Deduction
IF the premises is true the conclusion MUST be true
e.g. All humans are mortal, I am a human, therefore I am mortal
Induction
If the premises are true it increases the probability that the conclusion is true
e.g. All the swans I have seen are white, therefore all swans are white