David Pierre Leibovitz

Emergence of Epistemic Phenomena

(ICS Spring Conference 2012) Poster Page 1 of 12

Emergence of Epistemic Phenomena

Q: Are you using the correct level of analysis?
We claim that for the unique requirements of cognition
1) There is only one micro level of ontology, realization and causal explanation (the systems level)
a. It is process oriented
b. It can causally explain all higher level behaviours and phenomena
2) There are no higher levels of causal explanation
a. Causality flows among actual ontological parts, not to or from epistemic abstractions
Under the standard macro level approach, we further claim that
3) There are no macro level stimuli, measurements and phenomena they are epistemic illusions
a. Merely arbitrary and uninformed patterns of micro-level inputs or outputs between an experimental
paradigm and a non-representational cognitive agent
Our claims originate from our unified process model of visual filling-in. We noticed that while the model explains all
the phenomena, none of them actually existed. The epistemic phenomena arise from oversimplified and implicit
folk-theories. Epistemic phenomena emerge from lack of knowledge, from lack of a Systems level theory.
We show the results the visual demonstration for a variety of phenomena. Your task:

Show me the macro level stimuli, measurement or phenomena!

It is only by getting rid of the macro level of analysis that one can hope to uncover a (micro) systems
level and begin to causally unify explanations for cognition.

David Pierre Leibovitz

Emergence of Epistemic Phenomena

(ICS Spring Conference 2012) Poster Page 2 of 12

First Order Functional Emergence in Neurobiology and Connectionism

Perceptual Mind: High-Level (Emergent?) Processes

Models are driven by the need to

explain a small set of related lowlevel phenomena at a time
Some architectural re-use is possible

2nd Order Re-Use & High-Level Realization Gap

+ Hard Problem of Consciousness Gap

Low-Level
Function X,
Phenomenon X

Model X

Low-Level
Function Y,
Phenomenon Y

Model Y

Architecture A

Low-Level
Function Z,
Phenomenon Z

Model Z

Architecture B

Phenomena/Function X, Y & Z are

crisp (ontological)

2nd Order
Functions Z+,
Phenomena Z+

Unified
Model &
Low-Level
Realization
Gap

With modest recurrence and nonlinearities, models can exhibit

specific (still crisp) 1st order
engineered emergence

Unified/re-usable models across a

larger set of low-level phenomena
(or 2nd order emergent ones Z+),
even from the same architecture,
are not possible
Models too large and
incommensurable for re-use
Highly parameter sensitive

Brain: Low-Level Processes;

Typically Non-Representational

David Pierre Leibovitz

Emergence of Epistemic Phenomena

(ICS Spring Conference 2012) Poster Page 3 of 12

First Order Functional Emergence in Traditional Cognitive Science

Models are driven by the need to
explain a small set of related
medium-level phenomena at a
time

Perceptual Mind: Medium-Level Processes

Typically Representational (Symbolic)

Model A

Model B

Model C

Unified
Model &
Medium-Level
Realization
Gap

Medium-Level
Function A,
Phenomenon A

Medium-Level
Function B,
Phenomenon B

Medium-Level
Function C,
Phenomenon C

2nd Order
Functions C+,
Phenomena C+

Architecture X

Architecture Y

2nd Order High-Level Re-Use Gap (+ Hard Problem of Consciousness Gap)

+ Low-Level Realization Gap (+ Hard Problem of Consciousness Gap)

Brain: Low-Level (Supervened?) Processes;

Typically Non-Representational

Some architectural re-use is possible

Phenomena/Function A, B & C are
crisp (ontological)
With modest recurrence and nonlinearities, models can exhibit
specific (still crisp) 1st order
engineered emergence

Unified/re-usable models across a

larger set of medium-level
phenomena (or 2nd order
emergent ones C+), even from the
same architecture, are not
possible
Architectures/Models too large and
incommensurable for re-use

Some parameter sensitivity

David Pierre Leibovitz

Emergence of Epistemic Phenomena

(ICS Spring Conference 2012) Poster Page 4 of 12

Epistemic Emergence in Unified Cognitive Science

Unified model driven by the need
to explain a large set of emergent
macro-phenomena

Illusion of Mind

Epistemic emergence of macro-phenomena

By arbitrary macro-perturbations & measurements

Ontological
Micro
Behaviour 1

Ontological
Micro
Behaviour 2

Ontological
Micro
Behaviour 3

Flow 1

Flow 2

Flow 3

Induce crisp (ontological) microbehaviour from holistic analysis and

need for re-use; realize via emergic
network flows

Sensors & Effectors

Non-representational

Unified model/architecture with engineered re-use via massive recurrence

Emergic Network

th

Induce epistemic functions from

holistic analysis to serve as guides to
(de)composition

Brain + Sensory Mind: N Level Processes

Ecologically situated with non-representational sensors
+ Hard Problem of Consciousness Gap

Engineer 1st nth order emergence by

static re-use of massive recurrent
flows
Flows must be ecologically situated
to sensors and effectors in a nonrepresentational manner to allow for
arbitrary macro-level perturbations
and measurements

The unified model always microbehaves in one static manner but

reacts to perturbations emergically

David Pierre Leibovitz

Emergence of Epistemic Phenomena

(ICS Spring Conference 2012) Poster Page 5 of 12

Emergic Phenomena (see http://emergic.upwize.com/?page_id=26) based on two interacting functions: 1) maintain information coherence & 2) handle missing data;
and interaction with experimental/measurement paradigm or perturbation most phenomena are hypothetical constructs of implicit Operationalism.

Gist: From Photoreceptors to 3 Higher Levels of Spatiotemporal Summation

Temporal Edges from Jitter (in Colour) Currently Unused in Model

Filling-In for Spatial Colour Homogeneity (http://emergic.upwize.com/?page_id=31)

David Pierre Leibovitz

Emergence of Epistemic Phenomena

(ICS Spring Conference 2012) Poster Page 6 of 12

Peri- & Trans-Saccadic Sensory Integration (Filling-out): Stability & Memory (http://emergic.upwize.com/?page_id=86)

Saccadic Masking (Suppression)

Blink Suppression (during green background) with Motion: Memory

David Pierre Leibovitz

Emergence of Epistemic Phenomena

(ICS Spring Conference 2012) Poster Page 7 of 12

Blue Scotoma Filling-In of Wedge: Surface & Contour Completion

Blind Spot Filling-In via Motion

Blind Spot Filling-In of Static Line: Contour Completion

David Pierre Leibovitz

Emergence of Epistemic Phenomena

Blind Spot Filling-In of Inserted Line

Blind Spot Filling-In of Line Moving Down

Flash Memory Diffusion is Emergent

(ICS Spring Conference 2012) Poster Page 8 of 12

David Pierre Leibovitz

Emergence of Epistemic Phenomena

(ICS Spring Conference 2012) Poster Page 9 of 12

Emergic Cognitive System (ECS)

Interaction Controller
Interactive
Views

Environment (World) Controller

- Many kinds

Interaction
via Saccades

Situated Cognitive Agent (Person) Controller

- Realizes the Emergic Cognitive Model (ECM)

David Pierre Leibovitz

Emergence of Epistemic Phenomena

Example Emergic Network

An Emergic Network (EN) is a set

of units connected together via
directed time delayed links in a
highly recurrent fashion.

Unit#2
Unit#1

Input
Port#3

Output
Port#5

Output
Port#4
Output
Port#1

Unit#3
Output
Port#9

Input
Port#6

Input
Port#7

Links

Input
Port#2

input port of another (or same)

unit. Many-to-many connectivity
is possible.

Learn to harness massive recurrence under continuous flows of change.

Download at: http://emergic.upwize.com/?page_id=6

x
y
z

Computation:
a = fa(x,y,z)
b = fb(x,y,z)
c = fc(x,y,z)

Similar Flows
x

a
b
c

a = f(x,y,z)
z

Emergic units transmit arbitrarily

structured values through their
ports. Thus a link connects the
output port of one unit to the

Output
Port#8

Prototypical Emergic Unit

(ICS Spring Conference 2012) Poster Page 10 of 12

- One to many: copies

distributed across links
- Many to one: values
summed at destination port
When similar values with similar
use move across the system, they
are considered to be functional
flows of information.
Units compute the interaction of
multiple recurrent flows leading
to emergent behaviours.

David Pierre Leibovitz

Emergence of Epistemic Phenomena

(ICS Spring Conference 2012) Poster Page 11 of 12

Emergic Network Architecture and Flow of the Visual Filling-In Cognitive Model
Motor
Planning

Shift

Shift

Legend:
Information Coherence Function

Shift Shift
Distribute Shift Top-Down

Shift Shift

Handle Missing Data Function

Sum Sum
Lateral/Shift Memory (RGB)

Distribute Shift Bottom-Up

Planner
Shift

Flowcentric

Spatiotemporal Summation

Sum Sum
Bottom-Up (RGB)

Sum Sum

Top-Down Summary (RGB)

Shift

Receptive Field Hierarchy

Shift

Shift

Shift

Shift

Distributor#3
Shift

Shift

Shift

Shift

Shift

Shift

Shift

Shift

Distributor#2
Shift

Shift

Shift

Shift
Shift

Shift

Shift

Sum

Sum

Sum

Sum

Shift

Shift

Shift

Shift

Sum

Sum

Shift

Shift

Sum

Sum

Shift

Sum

Shift

Sum

Sum

Shift

Shift

Shift

Shift
2

Sum

Shift

Shift

RF Layer 1#2
Sum

Sum

Sum

Shift

Shift

Sum

Shift
Shift

Sum

Sum

Sum

Shift

Shift

Photoreceptors - heterogeneous

Sum

Sum

Sum

RF Layer 1#4

RF Layer 1#3

Executor
Shift

Sum

RF Layer 2#2

RF Layer 1#1
2

Shift

Sum

RF Layer 2#1

Distributor#1
Shift

Sum
RF Layer 3

Sum

Shift

Shift
2

Sum

Sum

Units: retinotopic (but

delayed)
Values: spatiotopic
(despite flowing
through units)

David Pierre Leibovitz

Emergence of Epistemic Phenomena

(ICS Spring Conference 2012) Poster Page 12 of 12

Conclusions
Empiricism
Data informs theory
Philosophy
Theory can inform data (but this regresses). Are you using the correct micro/macro level of analysis?
Unified process models: We demonstrate that the situation is infinitely worse (under the current macro approach)
Show me the stimuli

- arbitrary epistemic ones do not converge to ontological micro ones

Show me the measurements

- arbitrary epistemic ones do not converge to ontological micro ones

Show me the phenomena

- arbitrary epistemic ones do not converge to ontological micro ones

So dont model macro phenomena one-by-one as if they were ontological. Thats a reification fallacy. Instead,
1) Suspend all belief in all possible theoretical explanations
2) Holistically analyze a set of epistemic macro phenomena/data; can they be interpreted otherwise?
3) Fully induce and explicate a micro-theory (suspect only process approaches are suitable)
a. Theory informs micro-stimuli and experimental paradigm
b. Theory informs micro-measurements and experimental paradigm
c. Theory informs micro-phenomena and interpretation
4) Now use informed data to inform unified ontological theory development. Finally back to empiricism