Autism, Modularity and Levels of Explanation in Cognitive Science
Authors: Coltheart, Max1; Langdon, Robyn1
Source: Mind & Language, Volume 13, Number 1, March 1998 , pp. 138-152(15)
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing
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Abstract:
Over the past century or more, cognitive neuropsychologists have discussed many of the issues raised in this volume. On the basis of this literature, we argue that autism is not a single homogeneous condition, and so can have no single cause. Instead, each of its symptoms has a cause, and the proper study of autism is the separate study of each of these symptoms and its cause. We also offer evidence to support the radical view advanced by Stoljar and Gold in this volume, namely, that in explaining such syndromes the cognitive level of explanation has priority over the neuroscientific.Document Type: Original article
DOI: 10.1111/1468-0017.00070
Affiliations: 1: Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney NSW 2109, Australia
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