Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!boulder!sunybcs!rapaport
From: rapaport@sunybcs.uucp (William J. Rapaport)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: A Definition of "Symbol," "Symbolic," and "Symbol-Manipulation"
Keywords: syntax, semantics, formality, systematicity, interpretability
Message-ID: <4730@cs.Buffalo.EDU>
Date: 15 Mar 89 22:29:20 GMT
References: <Mar.14.23.54.02.1989.21033@elbereth.rutgers.edu>
Sender: nobody@cs.Buffalo.EDU
Reply-To: rapaport@sunybcs.UUCP (William J. Rapaport)
Organization: SUNY/Buffalo Computer Science
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In article <Mar.14.23.54.02.1989.21033@elbereth.rutgers.edu> harnad@elbereth.rutgers.edu (Stevan Harnad) writes:
>
>Based on Newell, "Physical Symbol Systems," Cog. Sci. 4, 1980,
>Pylyshyn, Computation and Cognition 1984, and Fodor, passim, a symbol
>system is [etc.]

Some philosophers have argued that this notion is misleading or
incorrect.  See, e.g.,

Fetzer, James H. (1988), "Signs and Minds:  An Introduction to the
Theory of Semiotic Systems," in J. H. Fetzer (ed.), _Aspects of
Artificial Intelligence_ (Dordrecht:  Kluwer):  133-161.