Symbols, Computation, and Intentionality: A Critique of the Computational Theory of Mind

The computational theory of mind—the belief that the mind can be likened to a computer and that cognitive states possess the generative and compositional properties of natural languages—has proven enormously influential in recent philosophical studies of cognition. In this carefully argued critique, Steven Horst pronounces the theory deficient. He refutes its claims and assumptions, particularly the assertion that symbolic representations need not have conventional meaning. Horst goes on to sketch a new methodology for looking at the philosophy of psychology, one that provides a more fruitful way of comparing computational psychology with rival views emerging from connectionism and neuroscience. Original and comprehensive, his book is certain to provoke controversy and stimulate debate.