Re: ... regard to a (cognitive) structure

Dear Roberto and all,

the question concerning the difference between information processing in an
unconscious manner and as is it is done by a cognitive system is, I think, a
crucial one. Both aspects are, in our case, not contradictory, as we live in
an _unconscious_ as well as in a _conscious_ way. As you know the question
about consciousness has been debated in Philosophy for centuries. Some
philosophers such as Churchland or Dennett suggest, that consciousness can
be _explained_ with the information processing model. This question is part
of the AI-Debate (Artificial Intelligence) concerning _strong AI_ and _weak
AI_ (i.e. the question whether the computer metaphor is _only_ a metaphor or
if we can understand it literally...). The question of _intentionality_ (as
stressed by the Philosophers Searle and Dreyfus) is a key one. But to ask
about the difference(s) between the mode of being of human beings and other
(living or non-living) beings can be also stated in terms of the way we (and
_they_) _are_ in the world. This was the starting point of Heidegger's
phenomenology as a _break_ with the immanence of consciousness of Husserlian
Phenomenology. This is just a hint, I cannot develop it now here as you can
imagine. Just one remark: Heidegger's _In-der-Welt-sein_ is not to be
considered in opposition to consciousness-philosophy but as its
pre-supposition. Being-in-the-world means (among many other things...) not
just to be on this planet, but to be part of an open network of
relationships between _things_. How far other living beings also live in
such networks (i.e. how far their living is also _open_) is a fascinating
question...
Kind regards
Rafael

-----Urspr|ngliche Nachricht-----
Von: roberto kampfner <rrk@umdsun2.umd.umich.edu>
An: Multiple recipients of list <fis@listas.unizar.es>
Datum: Dienstag, 12. Mai 1998 05:21
Betreff: Re: ... regard to a (cognitive) structure

>
> Dear Rafael and all:
>
> I am sorry it took me so long to answer.... I would like to continuee
>the same thread.
>
> Rafael: Earlier you said that it si important to consider "the
>differences between the differences that make a difference and teh systems
>(human beings) who know about this." I think that an important, related
>question is: what is the difference between information processing in an
>unconscious manner (e.g. intercellular signalling andd communic
>ation),
>and
>information processing as it is done by a cognitive system. I think that
>this distinction becomes especially important when we focus on information
>processing in the nervous system, and by the conscious brain, as opposed
>to information processing at a lower, physiological level. This
>distinction would apply, I presume, to differences between human
>information processing, and information processing as performed by
>computers.
>
> Regards,
>
> Roberto
>
>
>
>On Wed, 22 Apr 1998, Rafael Capurro, Professor wrote:
>
>> structures are different and so information(s), in the Middle Ages
>> the scholastics used to say: omnia quo recipitur ad modum recipientis
>> recipitur (everything that is received is received according to the
>> way (or cognitive structure) of the recipient...
>> regards
>> rafael
>>
>> Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1998 08:11:29 +0200 (MET DST)
>> Reply-to: fis@listas.unizar.es
>> From: "Gunter Dubrau" <DUBRAU@irznv1.inf.tu-dresden.de>
>> To: Multiple recipients of list <fis@listas.unizar.es>
>> Subject: ... regard to a (cognitive) structure
>>
>> Roberto Kampfer wrote:
>> > At the level of nervous systems and symbolic information processing,
>> > Rafael Capurro's reference to information as "(following Weizsaecker
and
>> > others) not a quality of something but a quality of something with
regard
>> > to a (cognitive) structure" becomes, I think, especially relevant.
>> >
>> May be it is a little bit off topic. But can you tell me an example
>> of somthing with no regard to any structure? I think every thing has
>> it. Why we need this differnce?
>>
>> Gunter.
>>
>> -->
>> Gunter Dubrau
>> Internet- & Intranet-Design
>> Softwareergonomie- & Usability-Beratung
>> --> Tel.: +49 351 463 8307
>> --> e-mail: gunter.dubrau@inf.tu-dresden.de
>> --> internet: http://www.inf.tu-dresden.de/~gd1
>>
>
Received on Tue May 12 10:46:45 1998