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Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
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https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5...
Article . 2026 . Peer-reviewed
Data sources: Crossref
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Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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Operationalizing Minsky: A Modular Cognitive System Convergent with the Society-of-Mind Model

Authors: Melo, Edervaldo José de Souza;

Operationalizing Minsky: A Modular Cognitive System Convergent with the Society-of-Mind Model

Abstract

A obra Society of Mind (1986), de Marvin Minsky, propôs que a inteligência emerge da interação de numerosos agentes simples, cada um com funções parciais e dependentes do contexto. Embora amplamente citada, essa formulação careceu, ao longo do tempo, de desdobramentos operacionais capazes de articular seus insights conceituais com arquiteturas cognitivas efetivamente implementáveis. Este artigo propõe um sistema cognitivo modular contemporâneo que converge com a hipótese de Minsky: um arcabouço desenvolvido de forma independente, mas que chega a premissas estruturalmente compatíveis no que diz respeito à agência, à manipulação simbólica e ao controle em camadas. O sistema concebe a cognição como uma dinâmica de interação entre módulos especializados, cuja coordenação produz funções emergentes de nível superior, oferecendo um caminho prático para revisitar e formalizar os princípios da Society of Mind em contextos modernos, como a cognição assistida por IA e o raciocínio simbólico. Apresentamos a arquitetura proposta, justificamos seus princípios modulares, comparamos o modelo a estruturas cognitivas clássicas e contemporâneas, e argumentamos que formulações convergentes das ideias de Minsky continuam sendo um terreno fértil para o desenvolvimento de sistemas cognitivos computacionais e híbridos.

Marvin Minsky's Society of Mind (1986) proposed that intelligence emerges from the interaction of many simple agents, each with partial and contextdependent functions. Although widely cited, the model has lacked operational formulations capable of bridging its conceptual insights with implementable cognitive architectures. This paper proposes a contemporary modular cognitive system that is convergent with Minsky's hypothesis: a framework developed independently yet arriving at structurally compatible premises regarding agency, symbol manipulation, and layered control. The system treats cognition as a dynamic interplay among specialized modules whose coordination yields emergent higher-level functions, offering a practical pathway for revisiting and formalizing Society-of-Mind principles in modern contexts such as human-AI assisted cognition and symbolic reasoning. We outline the architecture, justify its modular principles, compare it to classical and contemporary cognitive frameworks, and argue that convergent formulations of Minsky's ideas remain fertile ground for computational and hybrid cognitive systems.

Keywords

Symbolic AI, Society of Mind, Cognitive Systems Theory, Cognitive Architecture, Human–AI Cognition, Modular Intelligence, Symbolic Reasoning, Modular Cognition, Distributed Cognition, Hybrid Cognitive Systems

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
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