physical symbol system hypothesis

computer science

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July 15, 2026

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The physical symbol system hypothesis, proposed by Allen Newell and Herbert Simon, is a core concept in artificial intelligence and the philosophy of mind. It posits that intelligence can be achieved by processing symbols, much like a computer program. This "top-down" approach contrasts with the "bottom-up" connectionist method, which aims to replicate the brain's neural networks. The hypothesis suggests that manipulating symbolic structures is sufficient for artificial intelligence and that human intelligence operates on similar symbolic principles. This forms the basis of the computational-representational theory of thought (CRTT), which views mental processes as computational.12

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artificial intelligence
Symbolic vs. connectionist approaches
…in what they called the physical symbol system hypothesis. This hypothesis states that processing structures of symbols is sufficient, in principle, to produce artificial intelligence in a digital computer and that, moreover, human intelligence is the result of the same type of symbolic manipulations.
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…in what they called the physical symbol system hypothesis. This hypothesis states that processing structures of symbols is sufficient, in principle, to produce artificial intelligence in a digital computer and that, moreover, human intelligence is the result of the same type of symbolic manipulations.
Read More