soul-frame/research/cognitive-science/mind-as-model-map.md
tegwick 807d6b17f6 Complete Phase II interaction (SOUL-WP-0003)
Map model-based mind, co-adaptive social cognition, and recognition/social
Beinghood into instruments and workstream notes. Support H3/H4/H7, judge TE-09,
write phase-ii-interaction-synthesis.md, finish SOUL-WP-0003, and mark
SOUL-WP-0004 ready.
2026-08-12 01:21:49 +02:00

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Mind as Model — Cognitive Science Map (Phase II)

Workplan: SOUL-WP-0003-T01
Date: 2026-08-12
Purpose: Map predictive processing, active inference, internal models, and metacognition against Soul Frame Mind = Model.

Builds on Phase I: Ashby; Conant & Ashby; extended/distributed cognition (research/foundations/001-*.md).


1. Soul Frame target definition

Mind is the adaptive modeling and regulatory dimension of a Being: models of self, others, environment, and relationships guide action and are revised by interaction.

Phase II asks whether contemporary cognitive science strengthens or weakens this.


2. Source crosswalk

Source Core idea Agreement with Soul Frame Tension
Ashby 1956; Conant & Ashby 1970 Regulation requires a model of the regulated system Direct support for Mind = Model (H3) Classical cybernetics is not social/personhood theory
Friston / Active Inference Agents minimize free energy via generative models of sensory causes; action and perception as inference Strong formalization of adaptive modeling + control as one package Philosophical over-extension debates; Markov blanket ≠ full Being (RN-002)
Clark, Surfing Uncertainty (2016) and related PP Brain as prediction machine; perception as controlled hallucination; action as prediction error minimization Mind as hierarchical generative modeling fits “model-based adaptation” Risk of reducing Mind to a single neural story; Soul Frame needs multi-substrate models
Hohwy, The Predictive Mind (2013) Systematic PP account of mind Supports internal generative models as central to cognition Stronger internalism than extended-mind / distributed views
Metacognition literature (overview) Models of own cognitive processes, uncertainty, confidence Supports Self-Model and calibration of Other-Models Not sufficient alone for Social Mind
Baker, Saxe & Tenenbaum 2009 Inverse planning: infer goals/beliefs from action Other-Model as inverse inference Rational-agent assumptions
Enactive critiques (e.g. participatory sense-making; radical enactivism) Interaction can constitute cognition; caution on representation talk Interaction process is first-class (RN-006) May reject “model” vocabulary; Soul Frame must keep “model” inclusive

Done criterion (≥4 rigorous sources with agreements/tensions): met.


3. Working synthesis for Mind

Mind  ⊇  generative / regulatory models
      +  update from evidence (including social evidence)
      +  action selection guided by those models
      +  (for Social Mind) coupled self/other/relation models

Not required for Mind in Soul Frame:

  • solved consciousness,
  • biological brain,
  • single substrate location,
  • perfect accuracy of models.

Quality of Mind (from RN-006, generalized):

  • calibration (uncertainty),
  • revisability,
  • differentiation (distinct counterparts),
  • perspective separation (mine vs yours vs yours-of-mine),
  • not accuracy alone when models are causal in interaction.

4. Metacognition placement

Metacognition maps primarily to:

  • SM2 Self-Model (including confidence about own knowledge),
  • SM4 Reflected-Self Model (what others model about me),
  • model-quality monitoring (calibration).

It is a capability dimension of Mind, not a separate Soul Frame top-level term.


5. Implications

  1. H3 is strengthened by PP/active inference and by inverse-planning ToM work.
  2. “Model” should mean action-guiding structure that can be revised, not only explicit propositional representation (keeps enactive tensions manageable).
  3. Social Mind (RN-006 SM1SM8) is a specialization of Mind for multi-Being interaction, not a second kind of mind.

6. Bibliography pointers

See sources/bibliography.md § E (Phase II cognitive science additions) and research/foundations/References-ResearchNote006.md.