Abstract
According to [Bayesian] models in cognitive neuroscience, says a recent textbook, the human mind behaves like a capable data scientist. Do they? That is, do such models show we are rational? I argue that Bayesian models of cognition, perhaps surprisingly, don't and indeed can't show that we are Bayes-rational. The key reason is that they appeal to approximations, a fact that carries significant implications. After outlining the argument, I critique two responses, seen in recent cognitive neuroscience. One says that the mind can be seen as approximately Bayes-rational, while the other reconceives norms of rationality.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1069-1078 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Philosophy of Science |
Volume | 90 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 17 Dec 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Philosophy of Science Association.