Objections And Responses About Detector-based Representations

Although the thesis that detectors are mental representations can find the support from teleosemantics,it faces several objections.They can be responded as following.(1)For objections about underived content: swampman objection can be answered by combining teleosemantics with fitness-based theory of function,and advocating pluralism of representation;For the high church solution of the content indeterminacy problem,further functional analyzing of more complex system would avoid attributing “too high” content to detectors;after examining reasons that might support the thesis that if detectors have underived content,underived content would be too liberal,we concluded that it is not plausible.(2)For objections about representational function: the objection that detectors cannot be “stand-in” can be responded by explicating there is no relevant difference between guiding by stand-in and guiding directly;By distinguishing different readings of causal mediator,we can concluded that Ramsey’s argument that detectors are merely causal mediator rather than representation cannot succeed;Ramsey’s another argument that relational properties exploited by the system might do many different jobs other than representation can be responded by demanding relevant relational properties play the role of guiding system’s proper response.(3)By giving an account that the representational description of detectors explains by describing a part of abstract mechanism about how system’s goal(i.e.,certain fitness)got realized,the objection that detector-based representation has no explanatory power can also be responded.Affirming such explanatory power also constitutes a positive argument for the thesis that detectors are mental representation.If one accepts mental representations are “stand-ins”,the response about “stand-in” constitutes another positive argument for the thesis.Teleosemantics,these responses as well as positive arguments can also justify representationalism in cognitive science,extended cognition,as well as the assumption of detectors as representations in artificial intelligence,animal,plant,even bacteria cognition research.