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Structuring Intelligence: The Role of Hierarchy, Modularity and Learning in Generating Intelligent Behaviour

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The Complex Mind

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Abstract

Scientific social trends ranging from dynamical systems theories to postmodernism have called into question whether the apparent hierarchical structure of naturally occurring intelligent behaviour actually derives from structured intelligence. These questions and perspectives overlook substantial evidence from both neuroscience and biology more broadly that behaviour really is organised utilising both modularity and hierarchy. In mammal brains, modular structure starts from cellular composition, and continues conspicuously through the existence of discrete regions with differing processing capacities (Badre, 2008). We can discriminate a brain region by its consistent and regular pattern of nerve-cell type and intercell connectivity, while these same features vary between regions. Hierarchy derives from the interaction between these modules. This is particularly apparent when we can produce complex movements such as the production of particular words (Mateer et al., 1990) or grasping and transfer gestures (Graziano et al., 2002) by directly stimulating single cells.

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  1. Joanna J. Bryson
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  1. University of Oxford, UK

    David McFarland

  2. University of Edinburgh, UK

    Keith Stenning  & Maggie McGonigle-Chalmers  & 

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Bryson, J.J. (2012). Structuring Intelligence: The Role of Hierarchy, Modularity and Learning in Generating Intelligent Behaviour. In: McFarland, D., Stenning, K., McGonigle-Chalmers, M. (eds) The Complex Mind. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230354456_7

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