The Neurons In The Brain Cannot Implement Symbolic Systems

Abstract

It is widely accepted that symbolic systems are useful in understanding the working of the brain, and there are many symbolic models of functions of the brain. This is based on the assumption, commonly implicit, that in the brain itself there is a symbolic system. In this article I challenge this belief, by showing that symbolic systems cannot be implemented by neurons in the brain. I based the argument on textbook knowledge from neurobiology, and the basic requirements for implementing symbolic systems. In particular, I show that there is no way to implement symbol tokens in neuronal substrate, where the individual connections of individual neurons (as opposed to cell populations) are not well defined.