Intertheory Relations in Cognitive Science: Privileged Levels and Reductive Strategies

Research in cognitive science has often assumed the existence of a privileged level that unifies theoretical explanations arising from different disciplines. Philosophical accounts differ about the locus of those intertheory relations. In this paper, four different views are analyzed: classical, co...

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Main Authors: Jesús Ezquerro, Fernando Martínez Manrique
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) 2018-11-01
Series:Crítica
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Online Access:https://critica.filosoficas.unam.mx/index.php/critica/article/view/427
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author Jesús Ezquerro
Fernando Martínez Manrique
author_facet Jesús Ezquerro
Fernando Martínez Manrique
author_sort Jesús Ezquerro
collection DOAJ
description Research in cognitive science has often assumed the existence of a privileged level that unifies theoretical explanations arising from different disciplines. Philosophical accounts differ about the locus of those intertheory relations. In this paper, four different views are analyzed: classical, connectionist, pragmatist, and reductionist, as exemplified in the works of von Eckardt, Horgan and Tienson, Hardcastle, and Bickle, respectively. Their divergences are characterized in terms of the possibility of such a privileged level. The classical view favors a privileged computational level. The connectionist revision tries to draw biological intuitions into computational models to provide a link between neuronsand computations. The pragmatist approach rejects the idea of a privileged level and offers a more eclectic view of cognitive theory building. The reductionist account pursues theoretical unification by means of the reduction of higher level theories to basic level (biological) ones.
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spelling doaj-art-c3393e9f6c494a2c83226d84eff2fae42025-08-20T02:41:17ZengUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)Crítica0011-15031870-49052018-11-013610610.22201/iifs.18704905e.2004.427Intertheory Relations in Cognitive Science: Privileged Levels and Reductive StrategiesJesús Ezquerro0Fernando Martínez Manrique1Departamento de Lógica y Filosofía de la Ciencia Universidad del País VascoDepartamento de Filosofìa Universidad de Granada Research in cognitive science has often assumed the existence of a privileged level that unifies theoretical explanations arising from different disciplines. Philosophical accounts differ about the locus of those intertheory relations. In this paper, four different views are analyzed: classical, connectionist, pragmatist, and reductionist, as exemplified in the works of von Eckardt, Horgan and Tienson, Hardcastle, and Bickle, respectively. Their divergences are characterized in terms of the possibility of such a privileged level. The classical view favors a privileged computational level. The connectionist revision tries to draw biological intuitions into computational models to provide a link between neuronsand computations. The pragmatist approach rejects the idea of a privileged level and offers a more eclectic view of cognitive theory building. The reductionist account pursues theoretical unification by means of the reduction of higher level theories to basic level (biological) ones. https://critica.filosoficas.unam.mx/index.php/critica/article/view/427cognitive sciencecomputationalismconnectionismreduction
spellingShingle Jesús Ezquerro
Fernando Martínez Manrique
Intertheory Relations in Cognitive Science: Privileged Levels and Reductive Strategies
Crítica
cognitive science
computationalism
connectionism
reduction
title Intertheory Relations in Cognitive Science: Privileged Levels and Reductive Strategies
title_full Intertheory Relations in Cognitive Science: Privileged Levels and Reductive Strategies
title_fullStr Intertheory Relations in Cognitive Science: Privileged Levels and Reductive Strategies
title_full_unstemmed Intertheory Relations in Cognitive Science: Privileged Levels and Reductive Strategies
title_short Intertheory Relations in Cognitive Science: Privileged Levels and Reductive Strategies
title_sort intertheory relations in cognitive science privileged levels and reductive strategies
topic cognitive science
computationalism
connectionism
reduction
url https://critica.filosoficas.unam.mx/index.php/critica/article/view/427
work_keys_str_mv AT jesusezquerro intertheoryrelationsincognitivescienceprivilegedlevelsandreductivestrategies
AT fernandomartinezmanrique intertheoryrelationsincognitivescienceprivilegedlevelsandreductivestrategies