ABSTRACT
In order to develop a theory of thought we have to understand the constraints that restrict our attention to certain classes of possible theories. The intuition behind blackboard modeling, and computer simulation more generally, is that only a few computing systems could possibly solve the complex problems that humans demonstrably solve. Therefore, the quickest way to understand human cognition is to understand what sort of computing the mind is able to do (Simon, 1981). This approach is called the computer metaphor for thought. The computer metaphor, which certainly has some validity, is the driving force behind the theory development efforts described in chap. 3.
