This paper uses tools from argumentation and artificial intelligence to build a system to analyse reasoning from a motive to an action and reasoning from circumstantial evidence of actions to a motive. The tools include argument mapping, argumentation schemes, inference to the best explanation and a hybrid method of combining argument and explanation. Several examples of use of relevant motive ...

The “New Computationalism” that is the subject of this special issue requires an appropriate notion of representation. The purpose of this essay is to recommend such a notion. In cognitive science generally, there have been two primary candidates for spelling out what it is to be a representation: teleological accounts and accounts based on “decoupling.” I argue that the latter sort of account ...

How can we make sense of observed instrumental actions that are on a first glance bizarre, i.e., different from what “I myself would have done”? In an attempt to answer this question, the paper sets forth a two-staged reasoning procedure for teleological action explanation: goal assignment, and backward planning. Closed-world assumptions about abnormalities frame reasoning to a manageable forma...

Previous research suggests that people implicitly believe biological and nonbiological natural entities exist to fulfil certain functions (i.e., hold implicit teleological beliefs). The standard experimental paradigm used demonstrate this is compare rates of acceptance in an un-speeded condition a speeded condition. As decision-making limits the opportunity engage reflective thought, increased ...