Computation, individuation, and the received view on representation |
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Authors: | Mark Sprevak |
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Institution: | King’s College, Cambridge CB2 1ST, UK |
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Abstract: | The ‘received view’ about computation is that all computations must involve representational content. Egan and Piccinini argue against the received view. In this paper, I focus on Egan’s arguments, claiming that they fall short of establishing that computations do not involve representational content. I provide positive arguments explaining why computation has to involve representational content, and how that representational content may be of any type (distal, broad, etc.). I also argue (contra Egan and Fodor) that there is no need for computational psychology to be individualistic. Finally, I draw out a number of consequences for computational individuation, proposing necessary conditions on computational identity and necessary and sufficient conditions on computational I/O equivalence of physical systems. |
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Keywords: | Computation Representation Computational identity Explanation Narrow content Physical computation |
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