Abstract
According to Marr, a computational-level theory consists of two elements, the what and the why. This article highlights the distinct role of the Why element in the computational analysis of vision. Three theses are advanced: (a) that the Why element plays an explanatory role in computational-level theories, (b) that its goal is to explain why the computed function (specified by the What element) is appropriate for a given visual task, and (c) that the explanation consists in showing that the functional relations between the representing cells are similar to the "external" mathematical relations between the entities that these cells represent.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 477-500 |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| Journal | Philosophy of Science |
| Volume | 77 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 2010 |