Computing Mechanisms

• Published in: Philosophy of science Vol. 74; no. 4; pp. 501 - 526
• Main Author: Piccinini, Gualtiero
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01-10-2007; University of Chicago Press; Cambridge University Press
• Subjects: Alphabets; Automata; Computational methods; Computer memory; Computer programming; Computer science; Computer technology; Connectionism; Digestion; Epistemology. Philosophy of science. Theory of knowledge; Logic; Logic gates; Mathematical problems; Mechanical engineering; Metaphysics; Philosophy; Philosophy of science; String theory; Systems theory; Turing machines; Science philosophy
• ISSN: 0031-8248; 1539-767X
• DOI: 10.1086/522851

This paper offers an account of what it is for a physical system to be a computing mechanism—a system that performs computations. A computing mechanism is a mechanism whose function is to generate output strings from input strings and (possibly) internal states, in accordance with a general rule that applies to all relevant strings and depends on the input strings and (possibly) internal states for its application. This account is motivated by reasons endogenous to the philosophy of computing, namely, doing justice to the practices of computer scientists and computability theorists. It is also an application of recent literature on mechanisms, because it assimilates computational explanation to mechanistic explanation. The account can be used to individuate computing mechanisms and the functions they compute and to taxonomize computing mechanisms based on their computing power.