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Science and Mind: How theory change illuminates ordinary thought

Fuller, Timothy
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1343840173

Abstract Details

2012, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Philosophy.
This dissertation imports insights from the philosophy of science into the philosophy of mind. In order to do so, I first distinguish importantly different types of theories of scientific inference, including normative, population-level, competence, and performance theories. Then, I trace the unique implications that each type of theory has (or fails to have) for theories of everyday adult belief revision, cognitive development, and cognitive architecture. In particular, I argue that scientific theory change and ordinary adult belief revision are underwritten by the same kinds of cognitive processes, those that can be characterized by information flow and the principles governing it. On this view, ordinary belief revision in adults and scientific theory change are importantly different from childhood learning, because the latter is underwritten by distinct kinds of cognitive processes. Cognitive development is thus needed to bridge the gap between childhood learning and adult scientific inference. I construct a model of this development in terms of Bayesian networks and related advancements in machine learning. Finally, I argue that the failure of “The Extended Mind” to characterize scientific inference strongly suggests that “The Extended Mind” has no legitimate applications to contexts of ordinary cognition either.
Richard Samuels (Advisor)
Louise Antony (Other)
Declan Smithies (Other)
William Taschek (Other)
Philosophy
philosophy of mind; philosophy of science; cognitive science; scientific inference; Bayesian networks; cognitive development; ordinary cognition

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Fuller, T. (2012). Science and Mind: How theory change illuminates ordinary thought [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1343840173

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Fuller, Timothy. Science and Mind: How theory change illuminates ordinary thought. 2012. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1343840173.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Fuller, Timothy. "Science and Mind: How theory change illuminates ordinary thought." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1343840173

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1343840173
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© 2012, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.