Complexity and the Function of Mind in Nature

Front Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Dedication......Page 9
Contents......Page 11
Preface......Page 15
PART I Foundations......Page 19
1.1 Basics......Page 21
1.2 Spencer and Dewey......Page 23
1.3 Outline of the book......Page 27
1.4 Thought and act......Page 29
1.5 Two concepts of function......Page 32
1.6 Teleonomic and instrumental views of cognition......Page 39
1.7 A simple concept of complexity......Page 42
Notes......Page 46
2.1 Some basic explanatory forms......Page 48
2.2 A fast tour......Page 49
2.3 Internalism......Page 55
2.4 The larger landscape......Page 60
2.5 Contesting the explanandum......Page 63
2.6 The location of the internal/external divide......Page 66
2.7 Problems of adjudication......Page 68
2.8 C-externalist explanations......Page 75
2.9 Cognition as organic complexity......Page 77
Notes......Page 78
3.1 Spencer\'s place......Page 84
3.2 Life and mind......Page 87
3.3 Continuities......Page 90
3.4 Homeostasis and cognition......Page 94
3.5 Spencer\'s explanatory program......Page 97
3.6 Direct/indirect; instructive/selective......Page 104
3.7 James\' interests......Page 108
Notes......Page 112
4.1 Meetings and departures......Page 118
4.2 Dewey on life......Page 120
4.3 Dewey on continuity......Page 122
4.4 Indeterminacy and complexity......Page 124
4.5 Past and present......Page 126
4.6 Selection and the pattern of inquiry......Page 131
4.7 Pragmatism and reliabilism......Page 134
4.8 A simulation......Page 139
4.9 A summary of progress made so far......Page 142
Notes......Page 145
5.1 Asymmetric externalism......Page 149
5.2 Two lines of dissent......Page 153
5.3 Biological constructivism......Page 159
5.4 Varieties of construction......Page 163
5.5 What environments contain......Page 166
5.6 Other views......Page 169
5.7 The status of complexity......Page 171
5.8 Construction and realism......Page 175
5.9 Constructivist philosophies of science......Page 179
Notes......Page 181
6.1 The division......Page 184
6.2 Some false dichotomies......Page 186
6.3 A fuel for success......Page 189
6.4 Explaining representation......Page 193
6.5 Success-linked theories......Page 196
6.6 Millikan\'s maps......Page 202
6.7 A stock-take......Page 205
6.8 A flurry over fitness......Page 206
6.9 Significance of the two trends......Page 210
6.10 Summary of Part I......Page 213
Notes......Page 214
PART II Models......Page 223
7.1 The question......Page 225
7.2 Biological background to the basic model......Page 226
7.3 The basic model......Page 227
7.4 The inducible defense case, part I......Page 232
7.5 The precarious and stable, revisited......Page 234
7.6 Comparison to a Bayesian model of experimentation......Page 235
7.7 Another model using regularity and change......Page 238
7.8 Extensions of the basic model: geometric means......Page 239
7.9 Variation within and between trials......Page 242
Notes......Page 247
8.2 Signal detection and the inducible defense case......Page 250
8.3 Optimal cues and acceptable cues......Page 255
8.4 The costs of plasticity......Page 256
8.5 Paying for perception......Page 262
8.6 On reliability......Page 265
Notes......Page 271
9.1 Another kind of complexity......Page 273
9.2 Polymorphism......Page 274
9.3 Individual homeostasis......Page 276
9.4 Homeostasis and the population......Page 280
9.5 Levene\'s theme......Page 282
9.6 The rhythm method......Page 286
9.7 Levins\' machinery......Page 289
9.8 The coarse and the fine......Page 295
9.9 A counter-example......Page 296
9.10 The group-selectionist structure of Levins\' model......Page 299
9.11 Quasi-homeostasis......Page 302
9.12 Summary of Part II......Page 304
Notes......Page 305
References......Page 309
Index......Page 327