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Re-Assessing Informational Atomism:  Reflections on Jerry Fodor ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],Dog
“ Not so,” replied I, “besides your motion of Northward and Southward, there is another motion which I call from left to right.” KING. Exhibit to me, if you please, this motion from left to right. I.  Nay, that I cannot do, unless you could step out of your Line altogether. KING.  Out of my Line?  Do you mean out of the world?  Out of Space? I.  Well, yes.  Out of your world.  Out of your Space.  For your Space is not the true Space.  True Space is a Plane; but your Space is only a Line.”
An Equation... ,[object Object],[object Object],informational semantics :  conceptual content consists of a direct law-governed causal (“nomic”) relation between “mind” and “world” conceptual atomism :  most concepts (or most lexical concepts) lack internal structure and so compose but do not decompose
...And an Implication ,[object Object],atomistic = no internal structure no internal structure  ⇒  no means  internal to the system  of deriving one  concept from any other concept  ⇒  no induction (also no abduction) no induction  ⇒  no acquisition no acquisition  ⇒  all concepts that are atomic are innate
Additional Terms:  Fodor on Fodor ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],knowledge at JTB is arrived at by logical analysis of propositions that may be determined to be true or false knowledge as JTB is in some sense derived from experience but that experience does not (cannot) provide the justification for beliefs anti-connectionist symbolist (symbolic AI) the external world exists  (and can be understood)  independently of our perception of it. objectivist?
Categorization ,[object Object],Is Fodor arguing that atomistic concepts  can  give rise to categorization? Is Fodor arguing that categorization is pre-existing in the world? Is Fodor saying that categorization arises from somewhere else in the mind, other than the realm of conceptual knowledge?
(Radical) Nativism How did we evolve to have all these concepts?  And why would evolution pre-equip us with an “eggbeater” concept anyway? Wait – Fodor seems committed to concepts having static content.  Every time a concept “changes”, in fact it becomes a new concept.  Doesn't this lead to a combinatorial explosion? What exactly do we mean by “innate”?  “Present at birth”?  “Independent of the environment”?  “Coded in the genes”?
Metaphysical Bias What is the nature of the thing being represented? How does the thing being represented relate to the representation (MR)?  Fodor assumes that there is no similarity between the two.  What if we assume that there is... say something like an isomorphism? The question is not, how does my concept successfully lock onto the correct external referent? The question is, how does the external object give rise to my concept? What is the nature of the connection between the thing being represented and the representation (MR)?
Re-Thinking Informational Atomism ,[object Object],atom – conscious mind structured entity – subconscious mind  Two-part relation atom to structured entity  (reference-like?)   structured entity to external world  (reference)
Conscious / Subconscious conscious  ⇒  self-conscious? (“I”) conscious  ⇒  linear? traditional symbolic AI? subconscious  ⇒  not subject to introspection subconscious  ⇒  network / web? symbol-driven connectionism?
What this gains us.... No categorization problems. No resort to radical nativism. No rejection of induction as acquisition mechanism. Explanation for “dearth of definitions”. Not more complicated but  simpler  structure. BUT:  Lose possibility of having  precisely  the same concept.
Lines for Development ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]
Conclusions ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

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fodor

  • 1.
  • 2. “ Not so,” replied I, “besides your motion of Northward and Southward, there is another motion which I call from left to right.” KING. Exhibit to me, if you please, this motion from left to right. I. Nay, that I cannot do, unless you could step out of your Line altogether. KING. Out of my Line? Do you mean out of the world? Out of Space? I. Well, yes. Out of your world. Out of your Space. For your Space is not the true Space. True Space is a Plane; but your Space is only a Line.”
  • 3.
  • 4.
  • 5.
  • 6.
  • 7. (Radical) Nativism How did we evolve to have all these concepts? And why would evolution pre-equip us with an “eggbeater” concept anyway? Wait – Fodor seems committed to concepts having static content. Every time a concept “changes”, in fact it becomes a new concept. Doesn't this lead to a combinatorial explosion? What exactly do we mean by “innate”? “Present at birth”? “Independent of the environment”? “Coded in the genes”?
  • 8. Metaphysical Bias What is the nature of the thing being represented? How does the thing being represented relate to the representation (MR)? Fodor assumes that there is no similarity between the two. What if we assume that there is... say something like an isomorphism? The question is not, how does my concept successfully lock onto the correct external referent? The question is, how does the external object give rise to my concept? What is the nature of the connection between the thing being represented and the representation (MR)?
  • 9.
  • 10. Conscious / Subconscious conscious ⇒ self-conscious? (“I”) conscious ⇒ linear? traditional symbolic AI? subconscious ⇒ not subject to introspection subconscious ⇒ network / web? symbol-driven connectionism?
  • 11. What this gains us.... No categorization problems. No resort to radical nativism. No rejection of induction as acquisition mechanism. Explanation for “dearth of definitions”. Not more complicated but simpler structure. BUT: Lose possibility of having precisely the same concept.
  • 12.
  • 13.