1. Do you think it’s possible to fully understand the mind without studying the brain? Why or why not?
2. What’s your take on Mishkin and Ungerleider’s bottom-up approach to cognitive science? How does it compare to Marr’s top-down approach, and do you see any advantages to one over the other?
3. Do you think neural network modeling is a useful tool in cognitive science? Why might it help us understand how the mind works?
4. What do Logothetis’s experiments teach us about the neural activity behind fMRI signals? Why is this important for studying the brain?
Chapter 4 – Thought Experiments to Understand the mind
Please, read Chapter 4 and answer the following questions:
1. Do you think that problem-solving lie at the heart of intelligence, as Newell and Simon suggest?
2. Is intentional realism the correct approach to thinking about propositional attitudes? Can you think on some other options?
3. Is Searle’s Russian (Chinese) room thought experiment a convincing argument for you? In general, what do you think of the use of thought experiments?