Subject Index 217
models: computational 2, 6, 10–11, 30–2,
35; machine vii, 6, 38, 192; in science
7, 22, 26, 32, 145–6
natural information vii, 1–2, 8–10, 15,
18–20, 24, 26, 34–5, 63, 66, 76, 80–1,
88–90, 93–4, 96–100, 104, 109, 125,
130–1, 141, 183–5, 190; condition of
detectability 63, 74–5, 97; condition
of relevance 63, 97; condition of
reliability 27, 44, 61, 96–8, 174;
condition of stability 63, 93, 97–8,
174; condition of unequivocality 63,
93, 96–8, 174; hard vs soft 59, 65–6;
as objective or specifying 20, 22, 25,
34, 39, 44–5, 48, 54–5, 56, 59–63, 69,
72, 76, 87, 92, 104, 183; for perception
36, 43–4, 48, 109, 169; presence vs
availability of 59, 70, 114–15; see also
information
naturalisation 10, 177
naturalism ix, 67, 180, 189–91;
American see American naturalists;
epistemological and ontological 187–9)
natural selection 26, 30–1, 51–2, 64, 75,
77, 83, 91, 98, 112, 116, 121, 126, 184;
as selection for 31, 129
natural vs practical kinds 72–4; see also
concepts; species
niche, ecological 82–5
niche construction 84–5, 88, 92, 115–16,
123, 128
noise (in information theory) 18–19, 21–2
organism: concept of 184–5; constitution
and abilities of 25–6, 29, 41–4, 57, 63,
66, 69–70, 74–5, 77–80, 98, 109, 154
organism-environment coupling 7, 10–11,
78, 85, 109–16, 118, 120, 122–8, 135,
178, 183, 191, 194
organism-environment relations (or
dynamics) 15–17, 39, 42–3, 45, 77, 83,
87–90, 94–6, 116, 128, 136, 153, 183;
see also environmental complexity;
environmental dynamics
parity principle see function, analogy of
perception: as activity 41–2, 81, 95, 130,
155; computational view 35–40; direct
45, 75, 125, 127, 133–4; epistemic
contact of 15, 60–1, 102; inference in
(vs direct) 38–40, 125; as information
uptake 26–7, 32, 36, 39, 41, 130
(see also information, tracking of );
range of 136, 142; of stimuli 40–1, 49;
visual 10, 36–42, 47–50, 125, 132, 140,
168, 171
perceptual ambiguity see illusion;
misperception; retinal image,
ambiguity of
perceptual guidance 125–7, 136, 152;
see also affordance; perception, direct
perceptual integration see cognitive
artefacts, integration with perception
perceptual investigation 52, 54
philosophical anthropology 127, 185–7
philosophy: analytic 180, 182–3; see also
analytic/synthetic distinction; conceptual
analysis; of technology 149
pictures 47–8, 131–6, 144–6, 173; see also
reference, iconic
a priori/a posteriori distinction 181–3,
186–7, 190
proper function 75, 101, 112–13, 123–4,
128; see also function, evolutionary or
historical; Millikan, R.
proprioception 45, 146, 153
Punctuated Equilibria 30–1, 33
realism (in philosophy) 43–4, 49
reality/virtuality distinction 147–8, 150,
163–4, 167–8; see also convergence;
human-computer interaction;
isomorphism
reference: iconic, indexical, and symbolic
131–3, 144, 148, 186, 191; see also
Peirce, C.S.
reference class 58, 61, 63, 66–7, 94
representation 36–8, 40, 42, 50, 125–6,
132–3
reproductively established families 75,
113; see also Millikan, R.; proper
function
retinal image 37, 40; ambiguity of the 37,
49, 52–4; see also illusion
robots 7, 157; see also cognitive robotics;
evolutionary robotics; social robotics
scaling problem (in behaviour-based AI)
153; see also Artificial Intelligence (AI),
Nouvelle
Second Life (SL) 150–1, 160–3, 174–6, 178
sensory-motor maps 154
signalling: active 26, 89–90, 94–7, 99–101,
141; games 25–6, 64–5, 90, 93, 95, 101;
see also Godfrey-Smith, P.; information;
natural information; Skyrms, B.
signal types vs tokens 21
simulation 38, 106, 130, 132–3, 136, 141,
172, 193–4; see also model
models: computational 2, 6, 10–11, 30–2,
35; machine vii, 6, 38, 192; in science
7, 22, 26, 32, 145–6
natural information vii, 1–2, 8–10, 15,
18–20, 24, 26, 34–5, 63, 66, 76, 80–1,
88–90, 93–4, 96–100, 104, 109, 125,
130–1, 141, 183–5, 190; condition of
detectability 63, 74–5, 97; condition
of relevance 63, 97; condition of
reliability 27, 44, 61, 96–8, 174;
condition of stability 63, 93, 97–8,
174; condition of unequivocality 63,
93, 96–8, 174; hard vs soft 59, 65–6;
as objective or specifying 20, 22, 25,
34, 39, 44–5, 48, 54–5, 56, 59–63, 69,
72, 76, 87, 92, 104, 183; for perception
36, 43–4, 48, 109, 169; presence vs
availability of 59, 70, 114–15; see also
information
naturalisation 10, 177
naturalism ix, 67, 180, 189–91;
American see American naturalists;
epistemological and ontological 187–9)
natural selection 26, 30–1, 51–2, 64, 75,
77, 83, 91, 98, 112, 116, 121, 126, 184;
as selection for 31, 129
natural vs practical kinds 72–4; see also
concepts; species
niche, ecological 82–5
niche construction 84–5, 88, 92, 115–16,
123, 128
noise (in information theory) 18–19, 21–2
organism: concept of 184–5; constitution
and abilities of 25–6, 29, 41–4, 57, 63,
66, 69–70, 74–5, 77–80, 98, 109, 154
organism-environment coupling 7, 10–11,
78, 85, 109–16, 118, 120, 122–8, 135,
178, 183, 191, 194
organism-environment relations (or
dynamics) 15–17, 39, 42–3, 45, 77, 83,
87–90, 94–6, 116, 128, 136, 153, 183;
see also environmental complexity;
environmental dynamics
parity principle see function, analogy of
perception: as activity 41–2, 81, 95, 130,
155; computational view 35–40; direct
45, 75, 125, 127, 133–4; epistemic
contact of 15, 60–1, 102; inference in
(vs direct) 38–40, 125; as information
uptake 26–7, 32, 36, 39, 41, 130
(see also information, tracking of );
range of 136, 142; of stimuli 40–1, 49;
visual 10, 36–42, 47–50, 125, 132, 140,
168, 171
perceptual ambiguity see illusion;
misperception; retinal image,
ambiguity of
perceptual guidance 125–7, 136, 152;
see also affordance; perception, direct
perceptual integration see cognitive
artefacts, integration with perception
perceptual investigation 52, 54
philosophical anthropology 127, 185–7
philosophy: analytic 180, 182–3; see also
analytic/synthetic distinction; conceptual
analysis; of technology 149
pictures 47–8, 131–6, 144–6, 173; see also
reference, iconic
a priori/a posteriori distinction 181–3,
186–7, 190
proper function 75, 101, 112–13, 123–4,
128; see also function, evolutionary or
historical; Millikan, R.
proprioception 45, 146, 153
Punctuated Equilibria 30–1, 33
realism (in philosophy) 43–4, 49
reality/virtuality distinction 147–8, 150,
163–4, 167–8; see also convergence;
human-computer interaction;
isomorphism
reference: iconic, indexical, and symbolic
131–3, 144, 148, 186, 191; see also
Peirce, C.S.
reference class 58, 61, 63, 66–7, 94
representation 36–8, 40, 42, 50, 125–6,
132–3
reproductively established families 75,
113; see also Millikan, R.; proper
function
retinal image 37, 40; ambiguity of the 37,
49, 52–4; see also illusion
robots 7, 157; see also cognitive robotics;
evolutionary robotics; social robotics
scaling problem (in behaviour-based AI)
153; see also Artificial Intelligence (AI),
Nouvelle
Second Life (SL) 150–1, 160–3, 174–6, 178
sensory-motor maps 154
signalling: active 26, 89–90, 94–7, 99–101,
141; games 25–6, 64–5, 90, 93, 95, 101;
see also Godfrey-Smith, P.; information;
natural information; Skyrms, B.
signal types vs tokens 21
simulation 38, 106, 130, 132–3, 136, 141,
172, 193–4; see also model