Philosophy Colloquium with Zoe Drayson - Feb 19th

[PSYCFWD]

On Thursday, February 19th speaker Zoe Drayson will give a talk titled ‘The importance of being abstract: explanation in computational cognitive science,’ followed by a Q&A

Location: Humanities 1, Rm 259 and on zoom: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/91476941052?pwd=u5uZ23XjaxtvA3EKlRP426IYd6hvMa.1

Time: 3:15 - 5:00

Talk Abstract:

The concept of abstractness which permeates computer science was instrumental in the birth of cognitive science. Several prominent philosophers of cognitive science, however, have spent the last twenty years developing research programs which downplay and even deny the role of abstractness in computational cognitive science. In this paper I distinguish two such research programs, both of which are associated with 'mechanistic' approaches to computation: one attempts to define and individuate physical computations entirely by their concrete properties, while the other tries to demonstrate that only concrete properties of physical computations can play an explanatory role in cognitive science. I will outline my criticisms of both research programs and make the case for the indispensability of abstract properties to cognitive science. I will argue that an ontological commitment to abstract properties is consistent with physicalism, naturalism, and scientific realism.

For questions or accommodation requests, please contact Laura Wilson lata...@ucsc.edu

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Laura Wilson

she/her, they/theirs

Department Manager

Philosophy Department

Office: Currently Remote

Voice Mail: 831-459-4578