认知科学和人类文明的发展

Cognitive Science and Development of Human Civilization

本文先后阐明了认知科学的概念、发展历程、基本理论和研究方法以及正确认识认知科学与人类进化和文明发展的关系等问题。认知科学是研究自然智能实体和人工智能实体与环境相互作用而产生智能及其规律的交叉科学领域,由计算机科学、数学、技术科学、脑科学、心理学、教育学、人类学、哲学等学科交叉综合而成。认知科学经过40多年的发展,已经得到世界各国的普遍重视。近年人类学的研究成果证明,从动物到人的进化过程中,认知能力及其脑结构和功能基础是人与类人猿差别的最重要标志。认知科学是当代科学发展的前沿,是引导人类各种创新活动的科学基础,对它的许多研究成果既不能轻视,也不能过分夸大。例如,作为认知科学分支的人工智能永远不能将人脑的复杂功能原理全面仿真出来,只能实现人脑智能中某一部分功能。人工智能不管怎样发展,都不会成为人类的对手。

This paper illustrates the concept, development process, fundamental theories and research methods of cognitive science as well as the relationship between cognitive science and human civilization development. Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary field that studies intelligence and its laws as a result of inter- action between natural and artificial intelligence entities and environment, composed of 7 disciplines, namely computer science, mathematics, technology science, cerebral science, psychology, pedagogy, anthropology and philoso- phy. With 40 years＇ development, it has been well acknowledged world - wide. Recent years＇ anthropological research indicates that cognitive capaci- ty, brain structure and function basis are what most importantly differentiates human beings and humanoid chimpanzees in the process of evolution. It is ar- gued that cognitive science is a modem advanced scientific development, whose achievements should be neither ignored nor exaggerated.