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Massive Modularity and the Flexibility of Human Cognition
Author(s) -
MACHERY EDOUARD
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
mind and language
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.905
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1468-0017
pISSN - 0268-1064
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-0017.2008.00341.x
Subject(s) - ingenuity , modularity (biology) , flexibility (engineering) , modular design , cognitive science , cognition , cognitive architecture , massively parallel , computer science , architecture , psychology , cognitive psychology , epistemology , philosophy , neuroscience , biology , art , programming language , statistics , genetics , mathematics , parallel computing , visual arts
In The Architecture of the Mind , Carruthers proposes a new and detailed explanation for how human cognition could be both flexible and massively modular. The combinatorial nature of our linguistic faculty and our capacity to engage in inner speech are the cornerstones of this new explanation. Despite the ingenuity of this proposal, I argue that Carruthers has failed to explain how a massively modular mind could display the flexibility that is characteristic of human thought.