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Maps, simulations, spaces and dynamics: on distinguishing types of structural representations

Facchin, Marco (2024) Maps, simulations, spaces and dynamics: on distinguishing types of structural representations. [Preprint]

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Abstract

Structural representations are likely the most talked about representational posits in the contemporary debate over cognitive representations. Indeed, the debate surrounding them is so vast virtually every claim about them has been made. Some, for instance, claimed structural representations are different from indicators. Others argued they are the same. Some claimed structural representations mesh perfectly with mechanistic explanations, others argued they can’t in principle mash. Some claimed structural representations are central to predictive processing accounts of cognition, others rebuked predictive processing networks are blissfully structural representation free. And so forth. Here, I suggest this confusing state of affairs is due to the fact that the term “structural representations” is applied to a number of distinct conceptions of representations. In this paper, I distinguish four such conceptions, argue that these four conceptions are actually distinct, and then show that such a fourfold distinction can be used to clarify some of the most pressing questions concerning structural representations and their role in cognitive theorizing, making these questions more easily answerable.


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Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Facchin, MarcoMarco.Facchin@uantwerpen.be0000-0001-5753-9873
Keywords: Structural representations; Indicator representations; Structural similarity; Simulations
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science
Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science > Concepts and Representations
General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism
Depositing User: Dr. Marco Facchin
Date Deposited: 11 Jun 2024 16:49
Last Modified: 11 Jun 2024 16:49
Item ID: 23557
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science
Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science > Concepts and Representations
General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism
Date: 2024
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/23557

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