Reconstructing Physical Symbol Systems

In attempting to force ALVINN1 into their already bulging symbolist tent, Vera and Simon (1993) have burst the seams of the Physical Symbol System Hypothesis (Newell and Simon, 1976; Newell, 1980a). We would like to present another view of representation in connectionist networks and respond to statements about ALVINN by both Vera and Simon and Greeno and Moore (1993). In so doing, we will reconstruct the