Marr on computational-level theories

Philosophy of Science 77 (4):477-500 (2010)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

According to Marr, a computational-level theory consists of two elements, the what and the why . This article highlights the distinct role of the Why element in the computational analysis of vision. Three theses are advanced: ( a ) that the Why element plays an explanatory role in computational-level theories, ( b ) that its goal is to explain why the computed function (specified by the What element) is appropriate for a given visual task, and ( c ) that the explanation consists in showing that the functional relations between the representing cells are similar to the “external” mathematical relations between the entities that these cells represent. *Received September 2009; revised January 2010. †To contact the author, please write to: Departments of Philosophy and Cognitive Science, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91905, Israel; e-mail: shagrir@cc.huji.ac.il

Other Versions

No versions found

Links

PhilArchive

    This entry is not archived by us. If you are the author and have permission from the publisher, we recommend that you archive it. Many publishers automatically grant permission to authors to archive pre-prints. By uploading a copy of your work, you will enable us to better index it, making it easier to find.

    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 102,440

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

The Role of Natural Constraints in Computational Theories of Vision.Peter Alan Morton - 1991 - Dissertation, The University of Western Ontario (Canada)
Content individuation in Marr's theory of vision.Basileios Kroustallis - 2006 - Journal of Mind and Behavior 27 (1):57-71.
A clearer vision.Lawrence A. Shapiro - 1997 - Philosophy of Science 64 (1):131-53.
On computational explanations.Anna-Mari Rusanen & Otto Lappi - 2016 - Synthese 193 (12):3931-3949.
Can Computational Goals Inform Theories of Vision?Barton L. Anderson - 2015 - Topics in Cognitive Science 7 (2):274-286.
Generative Linguistics and the Computational Level.Fintan Mallory - 2024 - Croatian Journal of Philosophy 24 (71):195-218.
Why we view the brain as a computer.Oron Shagrir - 2006 - Synthese 153 (3):393-416.

Analytics

Added to PP
2010-10-03

Downloads
240 (#111,364)

6 months
18 (#160,365)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?