Gerard O'Brien

University of Adelaide, Philosophy, Faculty Member

Philosophy

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Papers

Philosophy at the University of Adelaide

1876–2012, 2009

The role of representation in computation

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Eliminative materialism and our psychological self-knowledge

Philosophical Studies, 1987

Page 1. GERARDJ. O'BRIEN ELIMINATIVE MATERIALISM AND OUR PSYCHOLOGICAL SELF-KNOWLEDGE (Recei... more

Language and thought

Language & Communication, 2002

Radical connectionism: thinking with (not in) language

Language & Communication, 2002

In this paper we defend a position we call radical connectionism. Radical connectionism claims th... more

The role of representation in computation

Cognitive Processing, 2009

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Finding a place for experience in the physical-relational structure of the brain

Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 1999

In restricting his analysis to the causal relations of functionalism, on the one hand, and the ne... more In restricting his analysis to the causal relations of functionalism, on the one hand, and the neurophysiological realizers of biology, on the other, Palmer has overlooked an alternative conception of the relationship between color experience and the brain – one that liberalizes the relation between mental phenomena and their physical implementation, without generating functionalism's counter-intuitive consequences. In this commentary we rely on Palmer's earlier work (especially from 1978) to tease out this alternative.

What's really doing the work here? Knowledge representation or the Higher-Order Thought theory of consciousness?

Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 1999

Dienes & Perner offer us a theory of explicit and implicit knowledge that promises to systematise... more Dienes & Perner offer us a theory of explicit and implicit knowledge that promises to systematise a large and diverse body of research in cognitive psychology. Their advertised strategy is to unpack this distinction in terms of explicit and implicit representation. But when one digs deeper one finds the “Higher-Order Thought” theory of consciousness doing much of the work. This reduces both the plausibility and usefulness of their account. We think their strategy is broadly correct, but that consensus on the explicit/implicit knowledge distinction is still a fair way off.

The role of representation in computation

Cognitive Processing, 2009

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How do Connectionist Networks Compute?

by Jon Opie and Gerard O'Brien

Although connectionism is advocated by its proponents as an alternative to the classical computat... more Although connectionism is advocated by its proponents as an alternative to the classical computational theory of mind, doubts persist about its computational credentials. Our aim is to dispel these doubts by explaining how connectionist networks compute. We first develop a generic account of computation—no easy task, because computation, like almost every other foundational concept in cognitive science, has resisted canonical definition. We opt for a characterisation that does justice to the explanatory role of computation in cognitive science. Next we examine what might be regarded as the ‘‘conventional’’ account of connectionist computation. We show why this account is inadequate and hence fosters the suspicion that connectionist networks are not genuinely computational. Lastly, we turn to the principal task of the paper: the development of a more robust portrait of connectionist computation. The basis of this portrait is an explanation of the representational capacities of connection weights, supported by an analysis of the weight configurations of a series of simulated neural networks.

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Cognitive Science and Phenomenal Consciousness: A Dilemma, and How to Avoid It

by Jon Opie and Gerard O'Brien

Philosophical Psychology, Jan 1, 1997

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A Defense of Cartesian Materialism

by Jon Opie and Gerard O'Brien

Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 1999

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A Connectionist Theory of Phenomenal Experience

by Jon Opie and Gerard O'Brien

There are two fundamentally distinct computational approaches to phenomenal consciousness: either... more There are two fundamentally distinct computational approaches to phenomenal consciousness: either consciousness depends on the nature of the representational vehicles the brain deploys; or it is a product of special processes defined over these vehicles. We call versions of these two approaches vehicle and process theories, respectively. Process theories dominate the recent literature, but this orthodoxy is imposed on cognitive science largely by the classical computational theory of mind. Connectionists, on the other hand, are in a position to explore a vehicle theory of phenomenal experience. In this paper we develop and defend this vehicle theory. We show that while it leads us to re-assess some common wisdom about consciousness, it does so in fruitful and ultimately plausible ways.

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Intentionality Lite or Analog Content?

by Jon Opie and Gerard O'Brien

Philosophia, 2015

Radical Connectionism: Thinking With (Not In) Language

by Jon Opie and Gerard O'Brien

In this paper we defend a position we call radical connectionism. Radical connectionism claims th... more In this paper we defend a position we call radical connectionism. Radical connectionism claims that cognition never implicates an internal symbolic medium, not even when natural language plays a part in our thought processes. On the face of it, such a position renders the human capacity for abstract thought quite mysterious. However, we argue that connectionism is committed to an analog conception of neural computation, and that representation of the abstract is no more problematic for a system of analog vehicles than for a symbol system. Natural language is therefore not required as a representational medium for abstract thought. Since natural language is arguably not a representational medium at all, but a conventionally governed scheme of communicative signals, we suggest that the role of internalised (i.e., self-directed) language is best conceived in terms of the coordination and control of cognitive activities within the brain.

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