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Matter's Mastermind: the Model-Making Brain

Model as Analogy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2024

Roland Fischer*
Affiliation:
The Johns Hopkins University

Extract

Innovative understanding or explanation stems almost exclusively from analogical reasoning. Induction systematizes the familiar; deduction casts it into formal relationship. Reasoning by analogy brings to bear on the familiar a new perspective derived from another realm of inquiry. Models are fruits from the tree of analogical knowledge.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1981 Fédération Internationale des Sociétés de Philosophie / International Federation of Philosophical Societies (FISP)

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References

Notes and References

1 C.S. Peirce, Collected Papers, Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press, 1934.

2 Used by Marcus Pollio Vitruvius (1st century B.C.) in his De architectura, libri decem, book 4 (3,3); (3,7); book 5 (9,3). The Latin manuscript was dis covered 1414 in a Swiss monastery and the technicus terminus "model" spread around the world after the first printed edition of the book in 1486; see M. Jammer, "Die Entwicklung des Modellbegriffs in den physikalischen Wissen schaften", Studium Generale 18, 166-173 (1965).

3 R.S. Brumbaugh, Plato's Mathematical Imagination, Bloomington, Indiana University Press, 1954, New York, (Kraus reprint, 1968).

4 E.G. McClain, The Pythagorean Plato, N. Hays Ltd., Stony Brook, N.Y., 1978.

5 E. Topitsch, "Mythische Modelle der Erkenntnislehre", Studium Generale 18, 400-418 (1965).

6 R. Fischer, "A cartography of the ecstatic and meditative states" Science 174, 897-904 (1971).

7 G. Günther, "Die Theorie der mehrwertigen Logik", in Philosophische Perspektiven, Jahrbuch, R. Berlinguer und E. Fink (Eds.), Vol. 3, 110-131; Frankfurt a.M., Vittorio Klostermann, 1971.

8 R.H. Dicke, "Dirac's cosmology and Mach's principle", Nature 192, 440- 441 (1961).

9 J. Wheeler, "Genesis and observation", in Proceedings of the 5th In ternational Congress of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science, R.E. Butts and J. Hintikka (Eds.), Part 2, Boston, Reidel, 1977; (pp. 3-33).

10 J. Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Cleveland and New York, Meridian Books, The World Publ.Co., 1969; (p. 386).

11 A. Wilden and T. Wilson, "The double bind; logic, magic and economics", in Double Bind, E.E. Sluzki and D.C. Ranson (Eds.), Grune and Stratton, 1976; (pp. 263-286).

12 G. Günther, Das Bewusstsein der Maschinen; Eine Metaphysik der Kybernetik, Krefeld und Baden-Baden, Agis Verlag, 1963.

13 When talking to each other (person to person) we are trying to cover up our pre-programed nature and put up a social "mask". What sounds through that mask (in Latin: per-sonat) is what the Romans described as a person.

14 J. Rothstein, "Thermodynamics and some undecidable physical questions", Philos.Sci. 31, 40-48 (1964).

15 from the Latin: sapere, tasting and knowing—the fruits from the tree of knowledge.

16 V. Braitenberg, "Remarks on texture of brains", Intl. J. Neuroscience 6, 5-6 (1973).

17 R.E. Passingham, "Anatomical differences between the neocortex of man and other primates", Brain, Behav. Evol. 7, 337-359 (1973).

18 D. Premack, Intelligence in Ape and Man, New York, Halsted, 1977.

19 H.H. Pattee, "Dynamic and linguistic modes of complex systems", Intl. Journ. Genl. Systems 3, 259-266 (1977).

20 The "influencing machine" is a successor of belief in incubi and succubi, devils which only priests were qualified to exorcise. The influencing machine of the paranoid schizophrenic is a machine of mystical nature. It consists of boxes, cranks, levers, wheels, buttons, wires, batteries, and the forces known to techno logy are utilized to explain the functioning of the apparatus. All the discoveries of mankind, however, are regarded as inadequate to explain the marvelous powers of this machine, by which the patients feel themselves persecuted. The influen cing machine produces motor phenomena in the body, erections and emissions, and this is accomplished either by means of suggestion or by electricity, magnetism, or X-rays. The machine serves to persecute the patient and is operated by enemies who are predominantly physicians by whom the patient has been treated. The connection with the patient is often established by means of invisible wires leading into his bed. V. Tausk, "On the origin of the "influencing machine" in schizophrenia", The Psycho-analytic Quarterly 2, 529-556 (1933); translation of the 1919 German original.

21 Colby constructed a computer simulation model of paranoid processes, and claims that a clinician who interviews a paranoid patient and the model by means of teletype will not find it easy to distinguish them. It seems that we are only one step away from patients who will feel to be persecuted by a computer simulation program. (K.M. Colby, "Clinical implications of a simula tion model of paranoid processes", Arch. Genl. Psychiatry 33, 854-857, 1976).

22 G. Poulet, The Metamorphoses of the Circle, (C. Dawson and E. Coleman translators), Baltimore, The Johns Hopkins Press, 1966; (pp. XI-XXVII).

23 Angelus Silesius, (Johann Schefler), Gesammelte Werke. Der Cherubinische Wandermann, Vols I-III, Munich, Carl Hanser Verlag, 1949; (III, No. 148).

24 D. Mahnke, Unendliche Sphäre und Allmittelpunkt, (Faksimile Neu druck der Ausgabe Halle, 1937), Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, F. Frommann Verlag, 1966.

25 J.P. Richter (Ed.), The Literary Works of Leonardo da Vinci, 3rd ed., Vol. 1, New York, Phaidon, 1970; (p. 140): "Just as a stone flung into the water becomes the center and cause of many circles, and as sound diffuses itself in circles in the air, so any object, placed in the luminous atmosphere, diffuses itself in circles and fills the surrounding air with infinite images of itself. And is repeated, the whole everywhere, and the whole in every smallest part".

26 R. Fischer and M. Rockey, "A heuristic model of creativity", Experientia 23, 150-153 (1967).

27 R. Fischer, "Cartography of inner space", in Hallucinations: Behavior Experience and Theory, L.J. West and R.K. Siegel (Eds.), New York, Wiley, 1975.

28 K.H. Pribram, M. Nuwer and R.J. Baron: "The holographic hypothesis of memory structure in brain function and perception", in Contemporary De velopments in Mathematical Psychology, Vol. 2, R.C. Atkinson et al. (Eds.), W.H. Freeman and Co., 1974.

29 M.A. Arbib, The Metaphorical Brain, New York, Wiley-Interscience, 1972.

30 J. Bogen, "Hughlings Jackson's heterogram", in Conference of Human Brain Function, D.O. Walter, L. Rogers, J.M. Finzi-Fried (Eds.), Brain Info. Service, BRI Public Office, Los Angeles, Univ. of Cal., 1976.

31 H.V. Foerster, "Computing in the semantic domain", Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 184, 239-241 (1971).

32 W. Coward, "Second thoughts concerning the human soul", 1702; in C. Burt, "Working models of the brain", Brit. Journ. Statist. Psychol. 15. Part II. 199-215 (1962).

33 K.S. Lashley, Brain Mechanisms in Intelligence, Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1929; (re-printed by New York, Dover, 1962).

34 R. Harkness and R. Wehner, "Cataglyphis", Endeavour 1, 115-121 (1977).

35 R. Wehner, P.L. Herrling, A. Brunnert and R. Klein, "Periphere Adap tation und zentralnervöse Umstimmung im optischen System von Cataglyphis bicolor," Rev. Suisse de Zoologie 79, 197-228 (1972).

36 G.F. Oster and E.O. Wilson, Caste and Ecology in the Social Insects, Princeton, N.J., Princeton University Press, 1978.

37 On the systemic level of the whole species—and in analogy to Hughling Jackson's heterogram—every "function" is represented everywhere but some functions are represented at certain points more than at others. The various "functions" correspond then to states of consciousness, states that are experienced "at certain points", i.e. in certain individuals more than in others. If we look at the human species as a giant brain then the localized functions at certain points are the "creative people", "psychotic patients", and "ecstatic mystics". Similar localizations are in fact "experimentally" produced during the tribal ceremonies of birth, initiation, marriage, installation, burial, and so forth. The ritual serves to transcend the life-experiences of individuals into transpersonal forms. During the ceremony of the ritual each person loses personal identity and becomes the archetypal warrior, bride, widow, priest, chieftain. The whole society is reflected in itself as an imperishable living (systemic) unit. In every archetypal function each individual discovers himself enhanced, supported, magnified and integrated.

38 H. Garder, The Shattered Mind, New York, Vintage Books, 1974.

39 S. Beer, Brain of the Firm, New York, Herder and Herder, 1972.

40 If there is a limit to asking an intelligent question, and a limit to un derstanding, then the "right to know" seems to be severely limited by the number of metalanguages that a person is able to handle.

41 D.L. Vickers, Sorcerer's Apprentice: Head Mounted Display and Wand, Ph. D. dissertation, University of Utah, Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, December 1972.

42 I.E. Sutherland, "A head mounted three dimensional display", AFIPS Proceedings of the Fall Joint Computer Conference 1968, 33, part I, 757-764, Washington, D.C. Thompson Book Co.

43 Plato, The Republic, Book VII, p. 546, in The Portable Plato, S. Bu chanan (Ed.), The Viking Portable Library, New York, Viking, 1948.

44 H. Maturana, "Cognition", in Wahrnehmung und Kommunikation, P.M. Hejl, W.K. Köck, and G. Roth (Eds.), Frankfurt, Peter Lang, (1978).

45 S. Beer, Decision and Control, London, Wiley, 1966; (p. 357).

65 W.R. Ashby, An Introduction to Cybernetics, London, Chapman and Hall, 1956.

47 P. MacLean, "A triune concept of the brain and behaviour", in The Hincks Memorial Lectures, T. Boag and D. Campbell (Eds.), Toronto, Univ. of Toronto Press, 1973; (pp. 6-66).

48 R. Fischer, "Three books on the human brain: the brain looks into the mirror", Leonardo 8, 45-48 (1975).

49 R. Fischer, "On the remembrance of things future; the psychology of divination", Diogenes 108, 17-38 (1979).

50 P. MacLean, "The brain's generation gap: some human implications", Zygon 8, 113-127 (1973).

51 Ch. S. Peirce, Values in a Universe of Chance, Selected Writings of Ch. S. Peirce, Ph.P. Wiener (Ed.), Garden City, New York, Doubleday Anchor Books, 1958; (p. 358).

52 C.L. Scudder, "The mind: an evolving system of models", Fields Within Fields 14, 49-58 (1975).

53 G.A. Brecher, ref. 69 in R. Fischer, "Biological time", a chapter in The Voices of Time, J.T. Fraser (Ed.), New York, G. Braziller, 1966; (pp. 357-382).

54 For references see: R. Fischer, "Schizophrenia research in biological perspective", in Genetic Factors in "Schizophrenia", A.R. Kaplan (Ed.), Springfield, Ill., Thomas, 1972; (pp. 74-138).

55 J. Delay, "Psychotropic drugs and experimental psychiatry", in Recent Advances in Biological Psychiatry (Vol. IV), J. Wortis (Ed.), New York, Plenum, 1932.

56 M. de Cervantes, El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha, vigésima séptima edición, Colección Austral, No. 150, Madrid, Espasa-Calpe, S.A., 1976; (Capit. 32, p. 486).