Christopher D. Green (1998) Neither Semantics nor Theory-observation are Relevant
. Psycoloquy: 9(35) Connectionist Explanation (28)
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Psycoloquy 9(35): Neither Semantics nor Theory-observation are Relevant
NEITHER SEMANTICS NOR THEORY-OBSERVATION ARE RELEVANT
Reply to Raftopoulos on Connectionist-Explanation
Christopher D. Green
Department of Psychology
York University
Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3
Canada
http://www.yorku.ca/faculty/academic/christo
christo@yorku.ca
Abstract
Raftopoulos (1998) claims that I (Green 1998) argued that
every node in a connectionist network must be semantically
interpretable, and that I rely crucially on an untenable
distinction between theory and observation to make my argument run.
I reply by showing that neither of these claims is correct, and
that Raftopoulos's case against my argument does not appear to be
coherent.
Keywords
artificial intelligence, cognition, computer modelling,
connectionism, epistemology, explanation, methodology, neural nets,
philosophy of science, theory.
References
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- Crick, F.H.C., and Asanuma, C. (1986). Certain aspects of the anatomy and physiology of the cerebral cortex. In: Parallel Distributed Processing: Explorations in the Microstructure of Cognition. Vol. 2: Psychological and Biological Models, eds., McClelland, J. L., Rumelhart, D. E., and the PDP Research Group. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 333-371.
- Fodor, J. A., and Pylyshyn, Z. W. (1988). Connectionism and cognitive architecture: A critical analysis. Cognition, 28: 3-71.
- Green, C. D. (1998). Are connectionist models theories of cognition? PSYCOLOQUY 9(4) ftp://ftp.princeton.edu/pub/harnad/Psycoloquy/1998.volume.9/ psyc.98.9.04.connectionist-explanation.1.green
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- Raftopoulos, A. (1998). Can connectionist theories illuminate cognition: Comment on Green on connectionist-explanation. PSYCOLOQUY 9(24) ftp://ftp.princeton.edu/pub/harnad/Psycoloquy/1998.volume.9/ psyc.98.9.24.connectionist-explanation.21.raftopoulos
- Ramsey, W., Stich, S.P., and Garon, J. (1991). Connectionism, eliminativism and the future of folk psychology. In: Philosophy and Connectionist Theory, eds., Ramsey, W., Stich, S. P., and Rumelhart, D. E., Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum , 199-228.
- Smolensky. P (1995). On the projectible predicates of connectionist psychology: A case for belief. In: Connectionism: Debates on Psychological Explanation, eds. MacDonald, C., and MacDonald, G. , Oxford: Blackwell, 357-394.
- Stich, S.P. and Warfield, T. (1995). Reply to Clark and Smolensky: Do connectionist minds have beliefs. In: Connectionism: Debates on Psychological Explanation, eds. MacDonald, C., and MacDonald, G. , Oxford: Blackwell, 395-411.