Gary L. Drescher is a scientist in the field of

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...

(AI), and author of multiple books on AI, including ''Made-Up Minds: A Constructivist Approach to Artificial Intelligence''. His book describes a theory of how a computer program might be implemented to learn and use new concepts that have not been programmed into it. It introduces the Schema Mechanism, a general learning and concept-building mechanism inspired by

Jean Piaget Jean William Fritz Piaget (, ; ; 9 August 1896 – 16 September 1980) was a Swiss psychologist known for his work on child development. Piaget's theory of cognitive development and epistemological view are together called genetic epistemology. ...

's account of human cognitive development. The Schema Mechanism is intended to replicate key aspects of cognitive development during infancy. It takes Piaget's theory of human development as a source of inspiration for an artificial learning mechanism, and it extends and tests Piaget's theory by seeing whether a specific mechanism that works according to Piagetian themes exhibits Piagetian abilities. In 2001 and 2002, Drescher was a visiting fellow at the Center for Cognitive Studies at

Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy p ...

, which is directed by the American philosopher

Daniel Dennett Daniel Clement Dennett III (March 28, 1942 – April 19, 2024) was an American philosopher and cognitive scientist. His research centered on the philosophy of mind, the philosophy of science, and the philosophy of biology, particularly as those ...

. Following his work at Tufts, he wrote the 2006 book ''Good and Real: Demystifying Paradoxes from Physics to Ethics'', in which he defends rigorously mechanistic materialism. In this book, he discusses

quantum mechanics Quantum mechanics is the fundamental physical Scientific theory, theory that describes the behavior of matter and of light; its unusual characteristics typically occur at and below the scale of atoms. Reprinted, Addison-Wesley, 1989, It is ...

, defending the Everett or Multiple Worlds Interpretation, against the dominant

Copenhagen Interpretation The Copenhagen interpretation is a collection of views about the meaning of quantum mechanics, stemming from the work of Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Max Born, and others. While "Copenhagen" refers to the Danish city, the use as an "interpretat ...

. Among other things, he argues that the Everett Interpretation of quantum mechanics, allows for a completely

determinist Determinism is the metaphysical view that all events within the universe (or multiverse) can occur only in one possible way. Deterministic theories throughout the history of philosophy have developed from diverse and sometimes overlapping mot ...

outlook, and it undermines the views of those (like

Roger Penrose Sir Roger Penrose (born 8 August 1931) is an English mathematician, mathematical physicist, Philosophy of science, philosopher of science and Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Laureate in Physics. He is Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics i ...

) who hold that quantum mechanics can give us some special insights into the nature of consciousness. In this book, Drescher also provides treatments of the

Prisoner's Dilemma The prisoner's dilemma is a game theory thought experiment involving two rational agents, each of whom can either cooperate for mutual benefit or betray their partner ("defect") for individual gain. The dilemma arises from the fact that while def ...

and Newcomb's Problem to build a defense of the

golden rule The Golden Rule is the principle of treating others as one would want to be treated by them. It is sometimes called an ethics of reciprocity, meaning that one should reciprocate to others how one would like them to treat the person (not neces ...

and Kant's

categorical imperative The categorical imperative () is the central philosophical concept in the deontological Kantian ethics, moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant. Introduced in Kant's 1785 ''Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals'', it is a way of evaluating motivati ...

which does not require that we posit anything beyond the physical world as understood by the natural sciences.

References

External links

Made-up Minds: A Constructivist Approach to Artificial Intelligence at MIT PressGood and Real: Demystifying Paradoxes from Physics to Ethics at MIT PressTom Clark's Review of Gary Drescher's ''Good and Real: Demystifying Paradoxes from Physics to Ethics''

"Demystifying Quantum Mechanics: A Simple Universe with Quantum Uncertainty"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drescher, Gary Drescher, Gary Drescher, Gary Drescher, Gary Drescher, Gary Drescher, Gary Drescher, Gary