representation – Yohan J. John, PhD

Yes, symbolic representation occurs in the brain <h4> <i>Also: Dragons!</i></h4>

Yes, symbolic representation occurs in the brain
Also: Dragons!

By Yohan September 3, 2021neurologism

In some circles, neural and/or mental representations are controversial. I have recently argued that neural representation clearly occurs, and that the word 'representation' is simply a label for a behavior,…

‘Representing’ means exactly what you think it means <h4> <i>The continued defense of a much-maligned placeholder</i></h4>

‘Representing’ means exactly what you think it means
The continued defense of a much-maligned placeholder

By Yohan August 16, 2021neurologism

I. The evocative intermediary In the previous post, I offered a potted history of the debate surrounding neural and/or mental representations, and tried to expand the scope of the typical…

In defense of placeholders: the case of ‘representation’ <h4> <i>Featuring a whistle-stop history of the concept of neural representation</i></h4>

In defense of placeholders: the case of ‘representation’
Featuring a whistle-stop history of the concept of neural representation

By Yohan August 13, 2021neurologism

The idea that the brain represents objects, processes and events in the body and the outside world is ubiquitous. It may well be the pre-theoretical default for anyone who believes…

Intrinsic Incompleteness: Deacon on ‘ententional’ processes

By Yohan August 25, 2020Axis Praxis

This is the first in a planned series of posts on Terrence Deacon’s book Incomplete Nature: How Mind Emerged From Matter. I’m calling it the Deactionary, since Deacon is fond of coining new terms and redefining old ones.

Deacon outlines an ambitious goal: understanding the emergence of consciousness from insensate matter. Of course, not everyone thinks that mind emerged from matter in the first place. Dualists think mind is a separate substance from matter. Idealists think matter is a subset of mind, rather than the other way round. And panpsychists think that mind is an intrinsic property of all forms of matter, so it didn’t really emerge at all.

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