Skip to main content

Connectionism and Cognition: Why Fodor and Pylyshyn Are Wrong

  • Chapter
Connectionism in Context

Part of the book series: Artificial Intelligence and Society ((HCS))

Abstract

Recent excitement over the emergence of connectionism as a theory of the brain has been muted by a powerful critique advanced by Jerry Fodor and Zenon Pylyshyn (1988). The position which they develop assumes that an acceptable account of brain structure must be able to sustain an appropriate model of cognitive function. They introduce what they take to be the conditions that must be satisfied by an adequate model of cognitive function and contend that traditional digital machines, based on the concept of Turing machines, can fulfil these requirements, but that newer connectionist machines, based on the concept of neural networks, cannot.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Bechtel W, Abrahamsen A (1991) Formal logic and pattern recognition. In: Bechtel W, Abrahamsen A (eds) Connectionism. and the mind. Blackwell, Oxford (forthcoming)

    Google Scholar 

  • Churchland PM (1989) A neurocomputational perspective: the nature of mind and the structure of science. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Churchland PM (1990) Peer comments. Social Epistemol 4: 162–165

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson D (1967) Meaning and truth. Synthese 17: 304–323

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dietrich E (1990) Computationalism. Social Epistemol 4: 135–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fetzer JH (1988) Signs and minds: an introduction to the theory of semiotic systems. In: Fetzer JH (ed) Aspects of artificial intelligence. Kluwer, Dordrecht, pp 133–161

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Fetzer JH (1989) Language and mentality: computational, representational, and dispositional conceptions. Behaviorism 17: 21–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Fetter JH (1990) Artificial intelligence: its scope and limits. Kluwer, Dordrecht

    Google Scholar 

  • Fetzer JH (1991) Philosophy and cognitive science. Paragon, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Fodor J (1975) The language of thought. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Fodor J, Pylyshyn Z (1988) Connectionism and cognitive architecture: a critical analysis. Cognition 28: 3–71

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haugeland J (1981) Semantic engines: an introduction to mind design. In: Haugeland J (ed) Mind design. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, pp 1–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Newell A Simon H (1976) Computer science as empirical inquiry: symbols and search. Commun ACM 19: 113–126

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Peirce CS (1897) Logic as semiotic: the theory of signs. In: Buchler J (ed) Philosophical writings of Peirce. Dover, New York, pp 98–119

    Google Scholar 

  • Peirce CS (1906) Pragmatism in retrospect: a last formulation. In: Buchler J (ed) Philosophical writings of Peirce. Dover, New York, pp 269–289

    Google Scholar 

  • Rumelhart DE, McClelland JL, PDP Research Group (eds) (1986) Parallel distributed processing. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Smolensky P (1987) The constituent structure of connectionist mental states: a reply to Fodor and Pylyshyn. South J Philos 26 (Suppl): 137–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smolensky P (1988) On the proper treatment of connectionism. Behav Brain Sci 11: 1–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1992 Springer-Verlag London Limited

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Fetzer, J.H. (1992). Connectionism and Cognition: Why Fodor and Pylyshyn Are Wrong. In: Clark, A., Lutz, R. (eds) Connectionism in Context. Artificial Intelligence and Society. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-1923-4_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-1923-4_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-19716-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-1923-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics