"Most tantumising state of affairs": Mathematical and non-mathematical in quantum-like understanding of thinking.
Arkady Plotnitsky
Frontiers in Psychology September 12, 2022 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.934776 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Consciousness The unconscious Ideality-without-idealism Reality-without-realism |
| Key points | Argues that quantum-like and classical-like mathematical modeling of cognition and behavior, while effective, has limits, and that philosophical and literary approaches may compensate for them. The author adopts a non-realist stance, holding that representing mental processes through physical formalism may not be possible, and proposes the terms "reality-without-realism" (RWR) and "ideality-without-idealism" (IWI). |
Abstract
This article addresses the effectiveness of the predictive modeling of cognition and behavior based on quantum principles and some of the reasons for this effectiveness. It also aims, however, to explore the limitations of mathematical modeling so based, quantum-like (Q-L) modeling, and all mathematical modeling, including classical-like (C-L), in considering human cognition and behavior. It will discuss certain alternative approaches to both, essentially philosophical in nature, although sometimes found in literary works, approaches that, while not quantitative, may help compensate for limitations of mathematical modeling there. Most Q-L and C-L approaches beyond physics are realist, insofar as they offer representations of human thinking by the formalism of quantum or classical physical theories. The position adopted in this article is based on the non-realist assumption that such a representation may not be possible, which is not the same as that it is impossible. I designate interpretations that do not make this assumption reality-without-realism, RWR, interpretations, and in considering mental processes as ideality-without-idealism, IWI, interpretations.