ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the classical modular model of the mind introduced by Fodor, detailing each of its characteristic features. It focuses on contemporary issues, comparing Fodorian modest modularity with the post-Fodorian massive modularity hypothesis. One of the fundamental principles of cognitive science is that cognition is information processing. The internal structure of the mind, which involves a model of how the mind is organized into different cognitive systems and how information is processed within those cognitive systems, has been studied in philosophy of mind, psychology, and cognitive science for more than 50 years. The fact that the assumed modularity of processing within the brain does not translate to modularity of mental architecture suggests that more interdisciplinary collaboration between cognitive neuroscientists and philosophers is needed to progress on this topic, that is, to provide decisive empirical evidence for one of the theoretical modular approaches.
