[SydPhil] Book launch: The Idealized Mind by A/Prof. Michael D. Kirchhoff (School of Liberal Arts, University of Wollongong)

[Elena Walsh]

Dear colleagues,

You are warmly invited to the launch of *The Idealized Mind: From
Model-based Science to Cognitive Science *— a new book by A/Prof. Michael
D. Kirchhoff (School of Liberal Arts, UOW), published by the MIT Press.

Date: Thursday 2 October 2025

Time: 14.30-16.00

Location: ASSH Seminar Room, Building 19, Room 2072B (Research Hub),
University of Wollongong

*About the book*: *The Idealized Mind* seeks to establish three claims: (a)
contrary to prevailing assumptions, some of the most foundational concepts
in cognitive science — representation and computation — are akin to
idealized concepts in other sciences such as ideal gases, infinite
populations and frictionless planes; (b) that scientific models are
abstract explanatory devices that exist mainly in the imagination of the
communities that use them to describe, explain, and predict aspects of the
natural world; and, finally, (c) that none of this precludes endorsing
scientific realism in the context of scientific modeling in cognitive
science.

   - *Praise*: "Rich in insights from philosophy of science and concrete
   examples from natural science, Michael Kirchhoff’s *The Idealized
Mind* argues
   compellingly for an acceptable scientific realism without requiring that
   scientific idealizations literally describe reality. Kirchhoff expertly
   charts this difficult course and successfully tests his account on the
   premier model of the mind. This book helps us understand what scientific
   models really teach us about nature, including our own minds." - Jakob
   Hohwy, Director of the Monash Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative
   Studies, Monash University; author of *The Predictive Mind and The
   Self-Evidencing Agent*


   - *Praise*: "This book offers a forensic — yet friendly — philosophical
   treatment of the science of mind. It is forensic in its rigor and friendly
   in its disclosure of the idealizations we appeal to when making sense of
   our lived world. I especially liked the denouement of these arguments, as
   exemplified by the free energy that is — in and of itself — an account of
   sense making. The ensuing narrative is deeply layered, challenging, yet
   consistent and deeply compelling." - Karl Friston, Professor, Queen Square
   Institute of Neurology, University College London.

Link to the open access file for the book:

*https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/MJkxCnx1jnim1XOkvS9f6sJb8DQ?domain=mitpress.mit.edu
<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/MJkxCnx1jnim1XOkvS9f6sJb8DQ?domain=mitpress.mit.edu/>*

*Program:*

   - Welcome by Sr/Prof. Daniel D. Hutto (School of Liberal Arts, UOW)


   - Author talk: A/Prof. Michael D. Kirchhoff (School of Liberal Arts, UOW)


   - Responses from Dr. Ron Planer (School of Liberal Arts, UOW)


   - Open Q&A


   - Reception

Whether your interests lie in neuroscience, philosophy, AI, psychology, or
the foundations of cognitive science, this event is a chance to engage with
timely ideas and foster interdisciplinary conversation for new directions
in the sciences of the mind and brain.

Please RSVP by 20 September via this link
<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/l3JcCoV1kpfv1DqQEhzhMspB_LG?domain=docs.google.com>
.

For further inquiries, please email: sola-events at uow.edu.au.

Best wishes,

Elena

-- 

*Dr. Elena Walsh*

Lecturer

School of Liberal Arts

Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities | 94.19

University of Wollongong NSW 2522 Australia

*T *+61 2 4220 5692

*W *elenawalsh.squarespace.com
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