The Synthetic Approach and the Evolution of Cognition

Artificial intelligence (AI) and cognitive science are usually described as two fields characterized by different trends in different times. Old trends are symbolic, computational and representation-oriented, while new trends are more sub-symbolic, biological inspired, dynamical and brain-grounded and environment-oriented, such as within the embodied cognition range of different approaches. Of course, even evolution is connected with AI and cognitive science, but in this chapter my claim is that evolution is not just typical of new AI and cognitive science, and that new AI and cognitive science are not totally influences by evolutionary notions and methods. My main thesis is, therefore, that biological inspiration and conceptual framework, on one side, and evolution, on the other side, are not superimposable within these disciplines. In addiction, assuming that synthetic method is a unifying method of AI and cognitive science, I want to make some remarks on the relationship between the synthetic method and the exploiting of evolutionary methods and conceptual framework to explain cognitive capabilities and the intelligent behavior.