TY - JOUR

T1 - Вычисления в природе и природа вычислений

AU - Rodin, Andrei V.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Andrei V. Rodin. Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2020/11

Y1 - 2020/11

N2 - The Сhurch-Turing thesis gives us a definite answer to the question What is computation? only as far as convenient mathematical abstractions and idealisations are assumed; generally, it does not allow one to say whether a given physical process qualifies as computation or not. The author defends a view according to which the symbolic character of computation is an essential feature of this concept. A concept of naturalised computation cannot reduce to a distinguished class of natural processes, which qualify as models of computation in some sense, but should also include some notions of epistemic agency and symbolic representation. Since representation is a basic cognitive function, and since symbolic and linguistic representations play a major role in human societies, a naturalised account of computation should not bypass cognitive and social sciences. An important role of philosophy with respect to exact sciences is to provide these sciences with new ideas, some of which may later receive a scientific justification and bring about important scientific developments. However, at least since Kant philosophy also plays a critical role with respect to the sciences. The ongoing expansion of digital computational technologies into all areas of human life leads us to the situation where the metaphors of “artificial intelligence” and “world as computer” become to appear self-evident. At this point, a philosophical critic of computational approaches in science becomes particularly pertinent.

AB - The Сhurch-Turing thesis gives us a definite answer to the question What is computation? only as far as convenient mathematical abstractions and idealisations are assumed; generally, it does not allow one to say whether a given physical process qualifies as computation or not. The author defends a view according to which the symbolic character of computation is an essential feature of this concept. A concept of naturalised computation cannot reduce to a distinguished class of natural processes, which qualify as models of computation in some sense, but should also include some notions of epistemic agency and symbolic representation. Since representation is a basic cognitive function, and since symbolic and linguistic representations play a major role in human societies, a naturalised account of computation should not bypass cognitive and social sciences. An important role of philosophy with respect to exact sciences is to provide these sciences with new ideas, some of which may later receive a scientific justification and bring about important scientific developments. However, at least since Kant philosophy also plays a critical role with respect to the sciences. The ongoing expansion of digital computational technologies into all areas of human life leads us to the situation where the metaphors of “artificial intelligence” and “world as computer” become to appear self-evident. At this point, a philosophical critic of computational approaches in science becomes particularly pertinent.

KW - Church-Turing thesis

KW - Physical computation

KW - Symbolic representation

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85098935434&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.21146/0042-8744-2020-11-129-132

DO - 10.21146/0042-8744-2020-11-129-132

M3 - статья

AN - SCOPUS:85098935434

VL - 2020

SP - 129

EP - 132

JO - ВОПРОСЫ ФИЛОСОФИИ

JF - ВОПРОСЫ ФИЛОСОФИИ

SN - 0042-8744

IS - 11

ER -