ABSTRACT
In this chapter I discuss a familiar class of computational models that have played an influential role in artificial intelligence, computational psychology, and cognitive science – what are often called “classical” or “symbolic” models. In Section 1, I characterize such models, and discuss their relationship to some closely associated ideas. In Section 2, I sketch some putative virtues of classical models. In Section 3, I discuss some of the dimensions along which these models vary, and provide brief illustrations. Finally, in Section 4, I mention some of the more prominent criticisms levelled against the classical modeling paradigm.
