Extending Mechanics to Minds


Book Description

This book deploys the mathematical axioms of modern rational mechanics to understand minds as mechanical systems that exhibit actual, not metaphorical, forces, inertia, and motion. Using precise mental models developed in artificial intelligence the author analyzes motivation, attention, reasoning, learning, and communication in mechanical terms. These analyses provide psychology and economics with new characterizations of bounded rationality; provide mechanics with new types of materials exhibiting the constitutive kinematic and dynamic properties characteristic of different kinds of minds; and provide philosophy with a rigorous theory of hybrid systems combining discrete and continuous mechanical quantities. The resulting mechanical reintegration of the physical sciences that characterize human bodies and the mental sciences that characterize human minds opens traditional philosophical and modern computational questions to new paths of technical analysis.




The Mechanical Mind


Book Description

How can the human mind represent the external world? What is thought, and can it be studied scientifically? Should we think of the mind as a kind of machine? Is the mind a computer? Can a computer think? Tim Crane sets out to answer these questions and more in a lively and straightforward way, presuming no prior knowledge of philosophy or related disciplines. Since its first publication, The Mechanical Mind has introduced thousands of people to some of the most important ideas in contemporary philosophy of mind. Crane explains the fundamental ideas that cut across philosophy of mind, artificial intelligence and cognitive science: what the mind–body problem is; what a computer is and how it works; what thoughts are and how computers and minds might have them. He examines different theories of the mind from dualist to eliminativist, and questions whether there can be thought without language and whether the mind is subject to the same causal laws as natural phenomena. The result is a fascinating exploration of the theories and arguments surrounding the notions of thought and representation. This third edition has been fully revised and updated, and includes a wholly new chapter on externalism about mental content and the extended and embodied mind. There is a stronger emphasis on the environmental and bodily context in which thought occurs. Many chapters have been reorganised to make the reader’s passage through the book easier. The book now contains a much more detailed guide to further reading, and the chronology and the glossary of technical terms have also been updated. The Mechanical Mind is accessible to anyone interested in the mechanisms of our minds, and essential reading for those studying philosophy of mind, philosophy of psychology, or cognitive psychology.




Evolution of Semantic Systems


Book Description

Complex systems in nature and society make use of information for the development of their internal organization and the control of their functional mechanisms. Alongside technical aspects of storing, transmitting and processing information, the various semantic aspects of information, such as meaning, sense, reference and function, play a decisive part in the analysis of such systems. With the aim of fostering a better understanding of semantic systems from an evolutionary and multidisciplinary perspective, this volume collects contributions by philosophers and natural scientists, linguists, information and computer scientists. They do not follow a single research paradigm; rather they shed, in a complementary way, new light upon some of the most important aspects of the evolution of semantic systems. Evolution of Semantic Systems is intended for researchers in philosophy, computer science, and the natural sciences who work on the analysis or development of semantic systems, ontologies, or similar complex information structures. In the eleven chapters, they will find a broad discussion of topics ranging from underlying universal principles to representation and processing aspects to paradigmatic examples.




Computational Intelligence in Archaeology


Book Description

Provides analytical theories offered by innovative artificial intelligence computing methods in the archaeological domain.




The Extended Mind


Book Description

The ability to communicate through language is such a fundamental part of human existence that we often take it for granted, rarely considering how sophisticated the process is by which we understand and make ourselves understood. In The Extended Mind, acclaimed author Robert K. Logan examines the origin, emergence, and co-evolution of language, the human mind, and culture. Building on his previous study, The Sixth Language (2000) and making use of emergence theory, Logan seeks to explain how language emerged to deal with the complexity of hominid existence brought about by tool-making, control of fire, social intelligence, coordinated hunting and gathering, and mimetic communication. The resulting emergence of language, he argues, signifies a fundamental change in the functioning of the human mind - a shift from percept-based thought to concept-based thought. From the perspective of the Extended Mind model, Logan provides an alternative to and critique of Noam Chomsky's approach to the origin of language. He argues that language can be treated as an organism that evolved to be easily acquired, obviating the need for the hard-wiring of Chomsky's Language Acquisition Device. In addition Logan shows how, according to this model, culture itself can be treated as an organism that has evolved to be easily attained, revealing the universality of human culture as well as providing an insight as to how altruism might have originated. Bringing timely insights to a fascinating field of inquiry, The Extended Mind will be sure to find a wide readership.




Foundations of Enterprise Governance and Enterprise Engineering


Book Description

This book outlines the important foundational insights for enterprise governance and enterprise engineering, which are obviously provided by the social and organization sciences, but also by other sciences such as philosophy and information technology. It presents an employee-centric theory of organization in order to secure enterprise performance and also to comply with moral considerations about society and human individuals. This is necessary as prescriptions based on ‘best practices’ or the ‘best managed companies’ are often merely anecdotal, faddish, or controversial, and based on unsubstantiated pseudo-theories. The book consists of four main chapters, the first of which summarizes the importance of foundational insights for enterprises and explains the mutual relationships between the basic elements of enterprise governance and enterprise engineering. Next, chapter 2 explains the necessary philosophical foundations concerning knowledge, truth, language, and human existence. Subsequently, chapter 3 describes the ontological foundation and the nature of society and enterprises, as understanding their characteristics is a prerequisite for understanding and designing enterprises. Finally, chapter 4 approaches ideological foundations as beliefs and convictions, as they create specific requirements for the design of enterprises. In this way, the book covers all the cornerstones of the employee-centric theory of organization, drawing on foundational insights. The book is mainly intended for students specializing in areas such as business administration, management and organization science, governance, and enterprise and information systems design. However, professionals working in these areas will also benefit from the book, as it allows them to gain a deeper understanding of the theoretical foundations of their work and will thus help them to avoid strategic failures due to a lack of coherence and consistency between the various parts of their organization.




Information and Technology Literacy: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications


Book Description

People currently live in a digital age in which technology is now a ubiquitous part of society. It has become imperative to develop and maintain a comprehensive understanding of emerging innovations and technologies. Information and Technology Literacy: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications is an authoritative reference source for the latest scholarly research on techniques, trends, and opportunities within the areas of digital literacy. Highlighting a wide range of topics and concepts such as social media, professional development, and educational applications, this multi-volume book is ideally designed for academics, technology developers, researchers, students, practitioners, and professionals interested in the importance of understanding technological innovations.




Socially Extended Epistemology


Book Description

Socially Extended Epistemology explores the epistemological ramifications of one of the most important research programmes in contemporary cognitive science: distributed cognition. In certain conditions, according to this programme, groups of people can generate distributed cognitive systems that consist of all participating members. This volume brings together a range of distinguished and early career academics, from a variety of different perspectives, to investigate the very idea of socially extended epistemology. They ask, for example: can distributed cognitive systems generate knowledge in a similar way to individuals? And if so, how, if at all, does this kind of knowledge differ from normal, individual knowledge? The first part of the volume examines foundational issues, including from a critical perspective. The second part of the volume turns to applications of this idea, and the new theoretical directions that it might take us. These include the ethical ramifications of socially extended epistemology, its societal impact, and its import for emerging digital technologies.




Mechanics


Book Description

This book aims to present a self-contained survey of important topics in classical mechanics. Starting from basic mathematical foundations, Newtonian mechanics is developed with an emphasis on problem solving methods and advanced topics. The later, increasingly sophisticated chapters go beyond the material usually covered in an introductory course. They delve into topics including gyroscopic motion, central forces and scattering, oscillations, wave analysis, and special relativity. A great deal of emphasis is placed on problem solving. Over 150 worked examples are distributed throughout the text and model a variety of useful techniques. Additionally, each chapter finishes with an extensive and difficult problem set. A special effort has been made to make these problem sets diverse and challenging; they should serve as rigorous tests of understanding, as well as avenues for further exploration. In addition to the main material, this book contains over 250 figures and detailed appendices on multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations.




Research Anthology on Emerging Technologies and Ethical Implications in Human Enhancement


Book Description

Along with the introduction of technology in nearly every facet of human life comes the question of the ethical side of using technology to improve the human condition, whether that be physically or mentally. The capabilities of human enhancement technologies have created a dual-sided approach to discussing human enhancement: the critical approach of attempting to reach human perfection and the ethics within that idea and the endless capabilities of technology that have greatly impacted the medical field. It is essential to discuss both aspects within these emerging technologies, whether as separate entities or as cohesive units. Ranging from disease detection and treatment to implants and prosthetics to robotics and genetic engineering, human enhancement technologies are widespread and multi-purposed. By going beyond the capabilities of human hands, these technologies have propelled modern medicine and healthcare to new levels that have allowed humans to face new treatments or assistive technologies not seen before. The Research Anthology on Emerging Technologies and Ethical Implications in Human Enhancement covers the primary technologies and tools being used in medicine and healthcare along with discussions on the ethics of enhancing the human body. Topics covered include prosthetics and implants, robotics, human disorders/diseases and treatments and smart technologies, along with law and theory. This publication serves as a valuable reference work for doctors, medical professionals, researchers, students, professionals, and practitioners involved in fields that include ethics, medicine, computer science, robotics, genetics, assistive technologies, nanotechnology, biomedical engineering, and biotechnology.