Gualtiero Piccinini

The Computational Theory of Cognition: From Turing Machines to Neurocognitive Mechanisms

Gualtiero Piccinini March 3, 2021 November 25, 2022 Mindcraft / Piccinini: Neurocognitive Mechanisms

The modern computational theory of cognition began after Alan Turing (1936) published his mathematical theory of computation in terms of what are now known as Turing machines. Contrary to a popular misconception, however, it wasn’t Turing who turned his machines into a model of cognition. That step was taken by …

Teleological Functions: Fixing the Goal-Contribution Account

Gualtiero Piccinini March 2, 2021 November 25, 2022 Mindcraft / Piccinini: Neurocognitive Mechanisms

In my previous post, I mentioned that mechanistic explanations are functional. What I mean by that is that mechanisms and their component parts have functions and such functions contribute to mechanistic explanation because, by performing their functions, components contribute to the activities of the whole mechanism. The notion of function …

Composition, Realization, and Constitutive Explanation: An Ontologically Egalitarian Account of Multilevel Mechanisms

Gualtiero Piccinini March 1, 2021 November 25, 2022 Mindcraft / Piccinini: Neurocognitive Mechanisms / Uncategorized

Thanks to Dan Burnston and Nick Byrd for this opportunity to introduce Neurocognitive Mechanisms: Explaining Biological Cognition (OUP 2020). This book is the culmination of my main research program over the last 20+ years; it offers a comprehensive foundation for the science of biological cognition. In these posts, I’ll outline …

Reminder: Two Publishing Venues in the Philosophy of Neuroscience

Gualtiero Piccinini February 3, 2021 November 25, 2022 Mindcraft / Uncategorized

I periodically remind people of a couple of venues for work in the philosophy of neuroscience: The Synthese Topical Collection on Neuroscience and Its Philosophy. The deadline is purely nominal; submissions are processed as they come in and published online shortly after acceptance. To be considered, you need to submit …

A Couple of Venues

Gualtiero Piccinini January 6, 2020 November 25, 2022 Mindcraft / Uncategorized

Just a quick reminder about two venues for good work in the philosophy of neuroscience: Synthese used to publish a yearly Special Issue in the philosophy of neuroscience. The format has changed slightly, in that the papers are now published as they are accepted, but they are collected together online …

The New X-phi Blog

Gualtiero Piccinini December 13, 2018 November 25, 2022 blogs / Experimental Philosophy / Mindcraft

Joe Ulatowski, Dan Weijers, and Justin Sytsma have recently revived the x-phi blog under the auspices of the Australasian Experimental Philosophy Group: xphiblog.com. Edouard Machery has recently put up a post on the Geography of Philosophy project. More content is coming soon.

Dear Colleague Letter: Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Society – Supported Jointly with the Partnership on AI

Gualtiero Piccinini November 20, 2018 November 25, 2022 Academia / CFPs / Mindcraft

This is an NSF grant opportunity that might be of interest to some of you.