Gualtiero Piccinini
Encyclopedia
Gualtiero Piccinini is a philosopher working primarily on the nature of mind
and computation
as well as on how to integrate psychology
and neuroscience
. He is an associate professor in the Philosophy and Psychology Departments and the Center for Neurodynamics at the University of Missouri, St. Louis.
Piccinini is best known for his mechanistic account of what it takes for a physical system to perform computations. He has argued that computation is a kind of mechanistic process that does not require representation
. Piccinini is also known for his critique of pancomputationalism
and for his view about first-person data such as data from first-person reports. He has argued that first-person data are scientifically legitimate because they are public like other scientific data. Piccinini has also published on computational theories of cognition, concepts, and consciousness
.
Piccinini has received several awards and fellowships, including a Fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
and a Scholars' Award by the National Science Foundation
.
He is the founder and administrator of Brains, an academic group blog in the philosophy of mind, psychology, and neuroscience.
“The Mind as Neural Software? Understanding Functionalism, Computationalism, and Computational Functionalism.” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 81.2 (2010), pp. 269-311.
“Computation in Physical Systems,” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
“First-Person Data, Publicity, and Self-Measurement.” Philosophers’ Imprint, 9.9 (2009), pp. 1–16.
“Computation without Representation,” Philosophical Studies, 137.2 (2008), pp. 205–241.
“Computational Modeling vs. Computational Explanation: Is Everything a Turing Machine, and Does It Matter to the Philosophy of Mind?” Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 85.1 (2007), pp. 93–115.
Mind
The concept of mind is understood in many different ways by many different traditions, ranging from panpsychism and animism to traditional and organized religious views, as well as secular and materialist philosophies. Most agree that minds are constituted by conscious experience and intelligent...
and computation
Computation
Computation is defined as any type of calculation. Also defined as use of computer technology in Information processing.Computation is a process following a well-defined model understood and expressed in an algorithm, protocol, network topology, etc...
as well as on how to integrate psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
. He is an associate professor in the Philosophy and Psychology Departments and the Center for Neurodynamics at the University of Missouri, St. Louis.
Piccinini is best known for his mechanistic account of what it takes for a physical system to perform computations. He has argued that computation is a kind of mechanistic process that does not require representation
Mental representation
A representation, in philosophy of mind, cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive science, is a hypothetical internal cognitive symbol that represents external reality, or else a mental process that makes use of such a symbol; "a formal system for making explicit certain entities or types...
. Piccinini is also known for his critique of pancomputationalism
Digital physics
In physics and cosmology, digital physics is a collection of theoretical perspectives based on the premise that the universe is, at heart, describable by information, and is therefore computable...
and for his view about first-person data such as data from first-person reports. He has argued that first-person data are scientifically legitimate because they are public like other scientific data. Piccinini has also published on computational theories of cognition, concepts, and consciousness
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
.
Piccinini has received several awards and fellowships, including a Fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
and a Scholars' Award by the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
.
He is the founder and administrator of Brains, an academic group blog in the philosophy of mind, psychology, and neuroscience.
Selected Publications
“Information Processing, Computation, and Cognition” (with Andrea Scarantino). Journal of Biological Physics, 37.1 (2011), pp. 1-38.“The Mind as Neural Software? Understanding Functionalism, Computationalism, and Computational Functionalism.” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 81.2 (2010), pp. 269-311.
“Computation in Physical Systems,” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
“First-Person Data, Publicity, and Self-Measurement.” Philosophers’ Imprint, 9.9 (2009), pp. 1–16.
“Computation without Representation,” Philosophical Studies, 137.2 (2008), pp. 205–241.
“Computational Modeling vs. Computational Explanation: Is Everything a Turing Machine, and Does It Matter to the Philosophy of Mind?” Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 85.1 (2007), pp. 93–115.