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Neurocognitive Mechanisms: Explaining Biological Cognition Hardcover – 12 Nov. 2020
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Piccinini argues that cognition is computational at least in a generic sense. He defends the computational theory of cognition from standard objections, yet also rebuts putative a priori arguments. He contends that the typical vehicles of neural computations are representations, and that, contrary to the received view, the representations posited by the computational theory of cognition are observable and manipulatable in the laboratory. He also contends that neural computations are neither digital nor analog; instead, neural computations are sui generis. He concludes by investigating the relation between computation and consciousness, suggesting that consciousness may be a functional phenomenon without being computational in nature. This book will be of interest to philosophers of cognitive science as well as neuroscientists.
- ISBN-100198866283
- ISBN-13978-0198866282
- PublisherOUP Oxford
- Publication date12 Nov. 2020
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions2.38 x 15.6 x 23.4 cm
- Print length416 pages
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About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : OUP Oxford (12 Nov. 2020)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 416 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0198866283
- ISBN-13 : 978-0198866282
- Dimensions : 2.38 x 15.6 x 23.4 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: 2,437,470 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 2,185 in Neuroscience Biology
- 2,244 in The Human Brain
- 59,718 in Higher Education of Biological Sciences
- Customer reviews:
About the author

Gualtiero Piccinini is Curators' Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of Missouri. In 2014, he received the Herbert A. Simon Award from the International Association for Computing and Philosophy. In 2018, he received the K. Jon Barwise Prize from the American Philosophical Association. In 2019, he received the Chancellor's Award for Research and Creativity from University of Missouri - St. Louis. His publications include Physical Computation: A Mechanistic Account (OUP 2015), Neurocognitive Mechanisms: Explaining Biological Cognition (OUP 2020), The Computational Theory of Mind (with Matteo Colombo, CUP 2023), and The Physical Signature of Computation (with Neal G. Anderson, OUP 2024).
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CDReviewed in the United States on 2 June 20235.0 out of 5 stars Bridging philosophy, the mind, and computation
In "Neurocognitive Mechanisms," Gualtiero Piccinini masterfully marries computational theory with physical mechanisms, providing an exceptional exploration of cognition and its neural underpinnings. This book not only enhances our understanding of the brain as a computational entity but also successfully bridges the gap between abstract theory and physical reality.
Extending from his earlier work on physical computation, Piccinini invites us into an intricate labyrinth of metaphysical concepts, from teleological functions to neural representation. Each topic is expounded with impressive clarity and nuance, provoking thought and inviting further inquiry.
Although this book demands a certain technical familiarity with mathematics, physics, neurobiology, and analytical philosophy, it rewards its reader with an unparalleled philosophical immersion into cognitive science. "Neurocognitive Mechanisms" is a beacon in its field, illustrating how the philosophical can meet the neurological in the study of the computational mind. A remarkable follow-up to the author's "Physical Computation: A Mechanistic Account", and a timely and valuable addition to any philosophy and computer science collection.
In "Neurocognitive Mechanisms," Gualtiero Piccinini masterfully marries computational theory with physical mechanisms, providing an exceptional exploration of cognition and its neural underpinnings. This book not only enhances our understanding of the brain as a computational entity but also successfully bridges the gap between abstract theory and physical reality.5.0 out of 5 stars Bridging philosophy, the mind, and computation
CD
Reviewed in the United States on 2 June 2023
Extending from his earlier work on physical computation, Piccinini invites us into an intricate labyrinth of metaphysical concepts, from teleological functions to neural representation. Each topic is expounded with impressive clarity and nuance, provoking thought and inviting further inquiry.
Although this book demands a certain technical familiarity with mathematics, physics, neurobiology, and analytical philosophy, it rewards its reader with an unparalleled philosophical immersion into cognitive science. "Neurocognitive Mechanisms" is a beacon in its field, illustrating how the philosophical can meet the neurological in the study of the computational mind. A remarkable follow-up to the author's "Physical Computation: A Mechanistic Account", and a timely and valuable addition to any philosophy and computer science collection.
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Danielle WilliamsReviewed in the United States on 24 November 20225.0 out of 5 stars Must read for anyone interested in a naturalized philosophy of mind
This book takes the computational theory of mind and develops it into a scientifically relevant account of what it means for the brain to compute. It pairs nicely with Piccinini’s earlier work on physical computation while developing an additional framework for understanding what it means for the brain, specifically, to compute. But, more than the view itself, this book does a service to the philosophical literature by advancing a robust view that bridges theory with the physical mechanisms that carry out the computations.