Passionate thought: Computation, thought and action in Hobbes

Losonsky, Michael

doi:10.1075/pc.1.2.03los

Article published In:

Pragmatics & Cognition
Vol. 1:2 (1993) ► pp.245–266

Passionate thought

Computation, thought and action in Hobbes

Michael Losonsky | Colorado State University, Fort Collins

According to a computational view of mind, thinking is identified with the manipulation of internal mental representations and intelligent behavior is the output of these computations. Although Thomas Hobbes's philosophy of mind is taken by many to be a precursor of this brand of cognitivism, this is not the case. For Hobbes, not all thinking is the manipulation of language-like symbols, and intelligent behavior is partly constitutive of cognition. Cognition requires a 'passionate thought', and this Hobbsian synthesis of inner thought and outer behavior suggests a resolution to the contemporary conflict between cognitive theories of mind that make KNOWING THAT primary and pragmatic theories that make KNOWING HOW primary.

Published online: 1 January 1993

https://doi.org/10.1075/pc.1.2.03los

Cited by

Cited by 2 other publications

Losonsky, Michael

1995. Embedded systemsvs individualism. Minds and Machines 5:3 ► pp. 357 ff.

Losonsky, Michael

2000. On Wanting to Believe. In Believing and Accepting, ► pp. 101 ff.

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