Representation in Cognitive Science

Nicholas Shea

Based on detailed and wide-ranging case studies from the cognitive sciences
Combines key insights from existing theories to show that such ideas are widely applicable
Provides definitions of key terms for clarity
Includes detailed summaries, a helping learning resource
An open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence

Representation in Cognitive Science

Nicholas Shea

Description

Our thoughts are meaningful. We think about things in the outside world; how can that be so? This is one of the deepest questions in contemporary philosophy. Ever since the 'cognitive revolution', states with meaning-mental representations-have been the key explanatory construct of the cognitive sciences. But there is still no widely accepted theory of how mental representations get their meaning. Powerful new methods in cognitive neuroscience can now reveal information processing in the brain in unprecedented detail. They show how the brain performs complex calculations on neural representations.

Drawing on this cutting-edge research, Nicholas Shea uses a series of case studies from the cognitive sciences to develop a naturalistic account of the nature of mental representation. His approach is distinctive in focusing firmly on the 'subpersonal' representations that pervade so much of cognitive science. The diversity and depth of the case studies, illustrated by numerous figures, make this book unlike any previous treatment. It is important reading for philosophers of psychology and philosophers of mind, and of considerable interest to researchers throughout the cognitive sciences.

Representation in Cognitive Science

Nicholas Shea

Representation in Cognitive Science

Nicholas Shea

Author Information

Nicholas Shea, Professor of Philosophy, Institute of Philosophy, University of London

Nicholas Shea is Professor of Philosophy at the Institute of Philosophy, University of London and an associate member of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford. He is an interdisciplinary philosopher of mind, and of psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and cognitive science. He went into philosophy after a brief career as an intellectual property barrister, following a degree in mathematics at Oxford. He completed his MA at Birkbeck and PhD at King's College London and worked as a postdoctoral then senior research fellow in Oxford before returning to London, firstly at King's and then at the Institute of Philosophy. As well as philosophical work on mental representation, inheritance systems, consciousness, and the metaphysics of mind, he has published in scientific journals in collaboration with psychologists, cognitive neuroscientists and biologists.

Representation in Cognitive Science

Nicholas Shea

Reviews and Awards

Winner of the 2020 Lakatos Award for an outstanding contribution to the philosophy of science

"In this exceptional contribution to the philosophical literature on representation, Nicholas Shea has provided a shining example of what philosophy at its best can achieve. Shea has considerably advanced discussion of how best to characterize the meaning or content of representations. It should be widely read and discussed by philosophers and scientists with an interest in foundational issues in the study of behaviour." - Professor Todd Ganson, Mind

"Rich with scientific examples, this valuable book shows why we must care about the nature of representation. Both thorough and approachable, it is essential reading for anyone interested in cognitive science." - Professor Rosa Cao, Stanford University

"Both rigorous and inventive, Shea's book is an important step forward." - Professor Peter Godfrey-Smith, University of Sydney

"Nicholas Shea draws on a deep understanding both of the philosophical issues surrounding content and explanation, and of the relevant cognitive and biological sciences. The book is entirely up-to-date, original, and accessibly written — an important resource for any course in the philosophy of mind and psychology." - Professor Christopher Peacocke, Columbia University

Representation in Cognitive Science

Nicholas Shea

From Our Blog

What is 'representation' in the human brain and AI systems?

Neuroscience is beginning to make sense of what's going on inside the human brain'a seemingly inscrutable organ of even great complexity. We can now see what some patterns of activity are, and we have an inkling of what they are doing, of how they track the environment, and subserve behaviour.

Posted on January 19, 2021

Read the blog post