Function Alignment: A New Theory of Mind and Intelligence, Part I: Foundations
arXiv Preprint Archive March 27, 2025 preprint
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Cs.cl |
| Key points | Proposes that function alignment provides a coherent framework for modeling minds and building them, with bounded interpretability unifying previously fragmented concepts in cognitive science. Argues that this framework bridges computational architecture, psychological theory, and contemplative traditions, offering a structural foundation independent of existing philosophical systems. |
Abstract
This paper introduces function alignment, a novel theory of mind and intelligence that is both intuitively compelling and structurally grounded. It explicitly models how meaning, interpretation, and analogy emerge from interactions among layered representations, forming a coherent framework capable not only of modeling minds but also of serving as a blueprint for building them. One of the key theoretical insights derived from function alignment is bounded interpretability, which provides a unified explanation for previously fragmented ideas in cognitive science, such as bounded rationality, symbol grounding, and analogy-making. Beyond modeling, the function alignment framework bridges disciplines often kept apart, linking computational architecture, psychological theory, and even contemplative traditions such as Zen. Rather than building on any philosophical systems, it offers a structural foundation upon which multiple ways of understanding the mind may be reconstructed.