Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No. 7, 2025

The Manifold Model of Cognition and Its Interdisciplinary Unification

(Abstract)

Ma Yinghui

A manifold is a conceptual construct that has sparked a modern epistemological revolution, initiating a new paradigm of thought through its formality, intrinsic nature, and topological characteristics, and has had a profound impact on modern science and philosophy. As a potential key to unlocking the black box of artificial intelligence algorithms, manifold learning promises more efficient and interpretable models for deep learning based on philosophical and cognitive science foundations. The concept of the neural manifold, which seeks to explain cognitive behavior in the brain, may further inform the architecture of artificial neural networks. Pure consciousness may be understood as a multidimensional manifold, whose inner temporality and a priori correlations offer a basis for constructing a space of meaning encompassing both artificial intelligence and neural activities. The manifold not only reveals a common structure bridging artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and the philosophy of consciousness but also demonstrates a genetic-constitutive sequence of self-knowledge: from the foundational existence of the intentional manifold to the material existence of the neural manifold, and further to the formal expression of manifold learning. This progression offers new possibilities for interdisciplinary unification in cognitive studies.