Natural Selection
Academic Level Professional
Paper details ~
Write an argumentative paper regarding the debate of “modularity” in philosophy of science. Please present
arguments from both papers and divide the arguments with subheadings.
- Introduction (200 — 300 words)
- Present the argument from Peter Carruther by answering the following (900 words)
A. What is an module according to Peter Carruther
B. The argument from biology
C. The argument as to why a general-problem solver couldn’t evolve
D. The argument from computational psychology
E. Evidence that the mind is modular: pathological and experimental evidence - Present the argument from Woodward and Cowie by answering the following (900 words)
A. Problem with EP’s account of mental modules (section 16.4)
B. Problems with EP’s adaptionist or “reverse engineering” approach
- Functions are highly sensitive to structural information (the epistemological problem)
- The problem with one to one assumption
- EP’s misunderstanding of the role of learning and development in shaping the mature mind
C. Arguments against the claim that the mind is a system of modules - Problem with EP’s approach to frame problem and combinatorial explosion
- Chomsky’s poverty of stimulus argument
- Provide your own critique of Carruther’s account (800 words)
- Explain why the account of modularity is an inference to the explanation
- Provide a critique of the account of modularity with the argument from Jerry Fodor
Sample Solution
