Leibovitz, D. P. (2012) Emergence of epistemic phenomena. Poster presented at the Institute of Cognitive Science Spring Conference (ICSSC) of Carleton University, pp. 1-12. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  [doi: 10.13140/RG.2.1.4649.3920] (PDF)

Abstract: Q: Are you using the correct level of analysis?

We claim that for the unique requirements of cognition

1. There is only one micro level of ontology, realization and causal explanation (the systems level)
   1. It is process oriented
   2. It can causally explain all higher level behaviours and phenomena
2. There are no higher levels of causal explanation
   1. Causality flows among actual ontological parts, not to or from epistemic abstractions Under the standard macro level approach, we further claim that
3. There are no macro level stimuli, measurements and phenomena – they are epistemic illusions
   1. Merely arbitrary and uninformed patterns of micro-level inputs or outputs between an experimental paradigm and a non-representational cognitive agent

Our claims originate from our unified process model of visual filling-in. We noticed that while the model explains all the phenomena, none of them actually existed. The epistemic phenomena arise from oversimplified and implicit folk-theories. Epistemic phenomena emerge from lack of knowledge, from lack of a Systems level theory.

We show the results – the visual demonstration for a variety of “phenomena”. Your task:

Show me the macro level stimuli, measurement or phenomena!

It is only by getting rid of the macro level of analysis that one can hope to uncover a (micro) systems level and begin to causally unify explanations for cognition.

Links:

• Poster (PDF, 1.96MB)
• ICS Spring Conference 2012 (ICSSC 2012)
• @academia.edu
• @frontiersin.org
• @researchgate.net
• @scholar.google.ca