Skip to main content

Symbolic and Subsymbolic Approaches to Cognition

  • Conference paper
Book cover Neural Computation and Psychology

Part of the book series: Workshops in Computing ((WORKSHOPS COMP.))

  • 77 Accesses

Abstract

As an appropriate topic for a workshop on Neural Computation and Psychology, I discuss the relationships that can be established between conventional, symbolic (“rule-based”) and subsymbolic approaches to cognition. I first make some general remarks about symbolic and non-symbolic approaches. I then describe a framework, due to Foster (1992), within which different methods for solving the same computational problem can be compared. I then demonstrate the use of this framework as applied to a specific example. I use this illustrative example to consider whether subsymbolic methods are merely implementations of symbolic ones.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Chater, N., & Oaksford, M. (1990). Autonomy, implementation and cognitive architecture: A reply to Fodor and Pylyshyn. Cognition, 34, 93–107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Churchland, P. S., & Sejnowski, T. J. (1992). The Computational Brain. MIT Press/Bradford Books, Cambridge, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, A. (1989). Microcognition: Philosophy, Cognitive Science and Parallel Distributed Processing. MIT Press/Bradford Books, Cambridge, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dennett, D. C. (1971). Intentional systems. The Journal of Philosophy, 68, 87–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fodor, J. A. (1975). The Language of Thought. Crowell, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fodor, J. A., & Pylyshyn, Z. W. (1988). Connectionism and cognitive architecture: A critical analysis. Cognition, 28, 3–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forrest, J. H. (1987). Computations in PDP networks. Master’s thesis, University of Edinburgh.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foster, C. L. (1992). Algorithms, Abstraction and Implementation. Academic Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haugeland, J. (1985). Artificial Intelligence: The Very Idea. MIT Press/Bradford Books, Cambridge, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofstadter, D. R. (1980). Godei, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid. Penguin Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marr, D. (1982). Vision. Freeman, San Francisco.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newell, A. (1982). The knowledge level. Artificial Intelligence, 18, 87–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newell, A., & Simon, H. (1981). Computer science as empirical inquiry. In Haugeland, J. (Ed.), Mind Design. Bradford Books, Montgomery, VT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pylyshyn, Z. W. (1984). Computation and Cognition. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rumelhart, D. E., Hinton, G. E., & Williams, R. J. (1986). Learning representations by back-propagating errors. Nature, 323, 533–536.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rumelhart, D. E., & McClelland, J. L. (1985). Levels indeed! A response to Broadbent. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 114, 193–197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smolensky, P. (1987). The constituent structure of connectionist mental states: A reply to Fodor and Pylyshyn. The Southern Journal of Philosophy, 26, 137–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smolensky, P. (1988). On the proper treatment of connectionism. Behavioural and Brain Sciences, 11, 1–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Willshaw, D. J. (1994). Sub-symbolic and non-symbolic models. Phil Trans Roy Soc A, in press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1995 Springer-Verlag London

About this paper

Cite this paper

Willshaw, D. (1995). Symbolic and Subsymbolic Approaches to Cognition. In: Smith, L.S., Hancock, P.J.B. (eds) Neural Computation and Psychology. Workshops in Computing. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-3579-1_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-3579-1_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-19948-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-3579-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics