Two Theories of Predictive Cognition
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21146/0042-8744-2023-8-82-92Keywords:
social science, cognitive science, computation, algorithm, law, theory, ontologyAbstract
Nowadays, representations are all the more often conceived as probability distributions. Although many authors continue to adhere to “conceptual” and “propositional” idioms, meanwhile, there are cognitive theories that can explain the transcend of mental operations beyond the narrow framework of associations and reflexive learning to conceptual cognition. The article discusses two concepts based on the understanding of cognitions as probabilistic predictions: the theory of predictive processing (PP) and the theory of functional systems (FS). The PP-theory relies heavily on the concepts of computation and representation. However, representations are considered here as sub-symbolic, and, accordingly, computations are understood as probabilistic (Bayesian) inference. The FS-theory believes that a cognitive system anticipates parameters of the expected result and strives to maintain a certain level of metabolism, as well as to minimize the degrees of freedom of the system. As it is shown, we don’t have sufficient reasons to consider both theories equivalent. They are located at different levels of the Marr’s scheme, use different mathematics, and, probably, are not equally falsifiable. Based on these considerations, it can be assumed that the explanations and predictions of these two theories will differ.