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The computational and the representational language-of-thought hypotheses.

David J Chalmers1

  • 1Department of Philosophy, New York University, New York, NY, USA. chalmers@nyu.edu; consc.net/chalmers.

The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|September 28, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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This study differentiates between two versions of the language-of-thought hypothesis: representational and computational. The author supports representational language-of-thought but opposes the computational version, aligning with critiques of strong computationalism.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Philosophy of Mind

Background:

  • The language-of-thought hypothesis exists in two main forms: representational and computational.
  • The representational version posits structured mental representations.
  • The computational version involves symbolic computation in thought processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To distinguish between representational and computational versions of the language-of-thought hypothesis.
  • To clarify the author's position on each version.
  • To address the defense of representational LOT by Quilty-Dunn et al.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of the language-of-thought hypothesis.
  • Distinguishing between structured representation and symbolic computation.
  • Evaluating arguments for and against different LOT versions.

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Main Results:

  • The author opposes the computational version of the language-of-thought hypothesis.
  • The author supports the representational version of the language-of-thought hypothesis.
  • Quilty-Dunn et al. defend representational LOT but not strong computational LOT.

Conclusions:

  • A clear distinction between representational and computational LOT is crucial.
  • Support for representational LOT does not necessitate endorsement of strong computational LOT.
  • The debate on the nature of thought requires careful differentiation of these hypotheses.