March 29th Notes REL 304 Architecture of the Modern Mind a.

a. Modular mind the modern brain is a collection of hundreds of specialized mental mechanisms a. Modules (features) i. Information encapsulation ii. Domain specificity iii. And therefore - Thinking is quick, automatic and efficient. The Mental Workshop 1. The Structures of Thought: a. Minds build concepts using a set of innate mental tools; which tool is used depends on the specific task. b. This work is quick, automatic, constructive and mostly nonconscious. c. The mental toolbox holds detectors, identifiers, describers, facilitators, etc. i. Detector identify/see things ii. Identifier identifies the object (ex. Lion) iii. Describer what does the thing do? adds details iv. Facilitator response. 2. The Processes of Though: a. Cognitive inferences mental assumptions that automatically enrich the content of a conception. b. Cognitive predispositions the mind is biased to process information in particular ways that lead to predictable ends. c. Cognitive constraint the conceptual range of the mind is limited by the mental tools it has to interpret and organize the world. Original intelligence common sense (folk/innate) knowledge and thinking processes that are natural (innate) to all normal human beings Categories of Original intelligence: 1. Folk physics natural knowledge about basic properties and principles that apply to physical objects (solidarity, motion, causality, etc.) 2. Folk biology minds naturally categorize and reason about living things. 3. Folk psychology the natural attribution of mental states to other people and their cognitive skills involved in interpreting those states. Implications of original intelligence: 4. Innate mental processes and intuitive knowledge support thinking and behavior throughout lfe 5. All people think the same way 6. Novel ideas and cultural products res on ordinary cognitive processes. 7.