Some observations on symbol-grounding from a combined symbolic/connectionist viewpoint

If the grounding of an agent´s representations of concrete entities such as apples is a problem, then the grounding of representations of abstract entities is even more of a problem. This paper focuses on an agent´s representations of mental states and processes, such as the beliefs and inferences of other agents, but the considerations should generalize to other abstract cases. The paper considers the fundamental role played by metaphors of mind in people´s conceptions of and utterances concerning mental states and processes