Complementarity of mental content and logistic algorithms in a taxonomy of cognitive functions.

Abstract

It is maintained that a classification or taxonomy of functions is required to reflect cognitive functions. On the basis of the epistemological position of a pragmatic monism, it can be stated that cognitive functions are evolutionary products, and furthermore that their availability is dependent on the structural and operational integrity of neural modules and networks. Loss of functions as a consequence of local injuries or the disruption of neural networks can be used to develop a catalog of functions. The logic is as follows: the loss of a function is a proof of its existence. On a general level, two complementary domains of functions are distinguished in this taxonomy. The first domain consists of those functions that represent the content of subjective phenomena, such as percepts in different modalities, memories, emotions, volitions, intentions, or speech acts (the "what"). The second consists of those functions that make conscious content possible as a necessary condition, such as activation (being modulated for instance by the circadian rhythm), the temporal control of functions (on different time-scales using distinct neural algorithms), or attentional mechanisms (for instance spatial attention under endogenous or exogenous control), and we refer to these functions as logistic functions (the "how"). Complementarity as a generative principle is a prime characteristic of this taxonomy with both content and logistic functions.