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On the idea of complexes of theories in the cognitive sciences

Sushchin, Mikhail (2025) On the idea of complexes of theories in the cognitive sciences. [Preprint]

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Abstract

In this article, I develop the idea of theoretical complexes to characterize large-scale theoretical movements in the cognitive sciences, such as classical computational cognitivism, connectionism, embodied cognition, and predictive processing. It is argued that these theoretical movements should be construed as groups of closely connected individual theories and models of cognitive processes that share similar general hypotheses about the nature of cognition. General hypotheses form conceptual cores of complexes of cognitive theories, giving them their structure and functional properties. The latter are said to consist primarily of helping practitioners of theoretical complexes further develop their individual accounts of cognitive phenomena. It is claimed that the theoretical diversity fostered in this way has already benefited the cognitive sciences in a number of important ways and has the potential to further advance the field.


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Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Sushchin, Mikhailm.a.sushchin@gmail.com0000-0002-8805-6716
Additional Information: forthcoming in Synthese
Keywords: Cognitive sciences, Philosophy of science, Theoretical complexes, Pluralism, Proliferation, Unified theory of cognition.
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science
Depositing User: Dr. Mikhail Sushchin
Date Deposited: 04 Aug 2025 12:58
Last Modified: 04 Aug 2025 12:58
Item ID: 26098
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science
Date: 2025
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/26098

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