Why the Enzyme Model of Modularity Fails to Explain Higher Cognitive Processes

Author:Tzu-Wei Hung

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The enzyme model (EM), inspired by biological enzyme catalysis, is a
computational-functional description of information processing and distribution
in modular cognitive systems. It has been argued that EM offers advantages
in solving both the allocation problem and global computation and thus may
play a role in upholding the massive modularity hypothesis (MMH). This
paper, however, argues that EM solutions are untenable, as EM avoids the
infinite regress of allocation problem only at a high cost and with several
critical drawbacks. Moreover, to clarify global processes, EM needs to satisfy
two necessary conditions: first to demonstrate that the EM allows cross module
communication, and second to be sensitive to not only the syntax but also the
semantics of representations. I argue that EM only satisfies the first condition
and thus fails to hold.
Keywords: allocation problem、enzymatic computation、enzyme model、global computation.、massive modularity hypothesis