Review article
How are people like computers: some open-ended questions on computational attitude to modern cognitive science
Pavle Valerjev
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to explain the computational idea about the mind. Mathematical basics of the theory of computation are given briefly. Furthermore, arguments are described for and against the thesis that the human mind can accept computational, i.e. algorithmic description. In addition to contemporary speculations and disagreements when trying to base cognition theory, this paper gives mathematical arguments against computational hypothesis of the mind that is based on Gödel's incompleteness theory and the halting problem. The relationship between those mathematical formulations with unsolvable problems and paradoxes is shown. Alternative approaches to the study of cognition: connectionism and dynamism are also described. Finally, there are some suggestions for future investigations about such aspects of human cognition that are concerned with solving such critical tasks in respect to described arguments.
Keywords
Cognition; computation; Turing machine; algorithm; Gödel's theorem; halting problem; paradoxes; metacognition
Hrčak ID:
3193
URI
Publication date:
15.12.1999.
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