---
abstract: "In a recent series of publications, dynamicist researchers have proposed a new conception of cognitive functioning. This conception is intended to replace the currently dominant theories of connectionism and symbolicism. The dynamicist approach to cognitive modeling employs concepts developed in the mathematical field of dynamical systems theory. They claim that cognitive models should be embedded, low-dimensional, complex, described by coupled differential equations, and non-representational. In this paper I begin with a short description of the dynamicist project and its role as a cognitive theory. Subsequently, I determine the theoretical commitments of dynamicists, critically examine those commitments and discuss current examples of dynamicist models. In conclusion, I determine dynamicism's relation to symbolicism and connectionism and find that the dynamicist goal to establish a new paradigm has yet to be realized."
altloc:
  - http://ascc.artsci.wustl.edu/~celiasmi/Papers/thirdcontender.html
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creators_name:
  - family: Eliasmith
    given: Chris
    honourific: ''
    lineage: ''
date: 1996
date_type: published
datestamp: 1998-06-16
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dir: disk0/00/00/03/24
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eprintid: 324
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full_text_status: public
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keywords: 'cognitive science, cognitive theories, dynamical systems, connectionism, dynamicism, symbolicism, theories of mind, neural nets, artificial intelligence, cognition, van Gelder'
lastmod: 2011-03-11 08:53:49
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metadata_visibility: show
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number: 4
pagerange: 441-463
pubdom: FALSE
publication: Journal of Philosophical Psychology
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refereed: TRUE
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relation_type: []
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reportno: ~
rev_number: 8
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status_changed: 2007-09-12 16:26:38
subjects:
  - cog-psy
  - comp-sci-mach-dynam-sys
  - phil-mind
  - phil-sci
succeeds: ~
suggestions: ~
sword_depositor: ~
sword_slug: ~
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title: 'The third contender: A critical examination of the dynamicist theory of cognition'
type: journalp
userid: 222
volume: 9
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