Computational Modeling vs. Computational Explanation: Is Everything a Turing Machine, and Does It Matter to the Philosophy of Mind?

Piccinini, Gualtiero (2004) Computational Modeling vs. Computational Explanation: Is Everything a Turing Machine, and Does It Matter to the Philosophy of Mind?.

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Abstract

According to pancomputationalism, everything is a computing system. In this paper, I distinguish between different varieties of pancomputationalism. I find that although some varieties are more plausible than others, only the strongest variety is relevant to the philosophy of mind, but only the most trivial varieties are true. As a side effect of this exercise, I offer a clarified distinction between computational modeling and computational explanation.

Keywords:computationalism, computational theory of mind, computational modeling, computational explanation, pancomputationalism
Subjects:Specific Sciences: Cognitive Science
ID Code:2017
Deposited By:Piccinini, Gualtiero
Deposited On:30 October 2004