Abstract

The problem addressed in this dissertation is the problem of explaining interaction between visual and verbal components of human thought. The fundamental strategy adopted in this work for solution of the problem consists of treating both visual and verbal modes of thinking in terms of a common formalism that describes plausible information processing operations of the human brain. ;In Chapter I basic elements of the problem are identified through critical examination of Western philosophic history. The resulting composite definition of the problem challenges us to explain how visual components of human thought interact with verbal components to support comprehension of certain words that are used with general application, as well as comprehension of combinations of such words in sentences and larger units of discourse. Although major Western philosophers are shown to have engaged elements of this problem repeatedly--over a period of approximately two thousand years--various deficiencies in each of their efforts indicate that we are addressing an abiding, important, and unresolved difficulty. ;In Chapter II and Chapter III a review of contemporary scientific resources is employed to further refine formulation of the problem and to identify guidelines for a modern "cognitive science" approach to its solution. In particular, Chapter II introduces relevant evidence obtained by contemporary experimental psychologists, and Chapter III provides complementary neuroanatomic and neuropsychological information. ;In Chapter IV a general system design for a formal explanatory model is proposed, showing linkage among functional components of verbal and visual information processing subsystems, and relating these components to the structure of the human brain. The basic processing units of this model are represented as associative matrix memory modules, and the mathematical resources of linear algebra are employed to describe the operations they perform. After its elementary features have been explained, the model is applied to the problem originally defined in Chapter I. ;In Chapter V the proposed model is discussed with respect to the work of Western philosophers examined in Chapter I, and with respect to future research projects that it may be expected to generate