Conclusion

Amy E. Varela

pp. 160-165

in: Jeff Coulter, Rethinking cognitive theory, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 1983

Abstract

we must take care to avoid the error of supposing that descriptions of things done are really indirect descriptions of the mechanisms which get them done. This is where the use of computer models of the activities of persons seems especially pernicious. To coax a computing machine to perform a certain task, we must first say what it is we want done. This requires that we describe in a precise way the performances we have in mind.