The Synthetic Method: Epistemological Issues in Cognitive Science
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Abstract
A current view in research community in cognitive science is that the so-called "old" or symbolic cognitive science is radically opposed to a "new" kind of cognitive science, which includes, above all, Artificial Life, dynamical systems, robotics. It is true that these new research areas deal with topics which are crucially important in the study of living organisms. These topics had been only marginally touched on by previous research in cognitive science. Nevertheless, a radical opposition between these different research areas on the basis of incommensurable paradigms is unjustified to a large extent. I'll try to discuss some issues regarding this topic, with the aim of proposing a different view of the matter.