Mechanistic and ecological explanations in agent-based models of cognition
Noble, J. and de Pinedo, M. (2004) Mechanistic and ecological explanations in agent-based models of cognition. In, Pollack, J., Bedau, M. A., Husbands, P., Ikegami, T. and Watson, R. A. (eds.) Artificial Life IX: Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Artificial Life. , MIT Press, 528-533.
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Description/Abstract
We argue that two styles of explanation — mechanistic and ecological — are needed in accounting for the behaviour of synthetic agents. An emphasis on mechanistic explanation in some current ALife models is identified, and parallels are drawn with issues in the philosophy of mind literature. We conclude that ecological or agent-level explanation does not come with representational baggage, and that mechanistic explanations cannot stand alone.
| Item Type: | Book Section |
|---|---|
| Divisions: | Faculty of Physical and Applied Science > Electronics and Computer Science > Agents, Interactions & Complexity |
| Item ID: | 265244 |
| Date Deposited: | 29 Feb 2008 18:55 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Mar 2012 11:40 |
| Contributors: | Noble, J. (Author) de Pinedo, M. (Author) Pollack, J. (Editor) Bedau, M. A. (Editor) Husbands, P. (Editor) Ikegami, T. (Editor) Watson, R. A. (Editor) |
| Date: | 2004 |
| Status: | Published |
| Publisher: | MIT Press |
| Further Information: | Google Scholar |
| ISI Citation Count: | 0 |
| URI: | http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/265244 |
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