From explanatory ambition to explanatory power : a commentary on Jakob Hohwy

Abstract

The free energy principle is based on Bayesian theory and generally makes use of functional concepts. However, functional concepts explain phenomena in terms of how they should work, not how they in fact do work. As a result one may ask whether the free energy principle, taken as such, can provide genuine explanations of cognitive phenomena. This commentary will argue that (i) the free energy principle offers a stronger unification than Bayesian theory alone (strong unification thesis) and that (ii) the free energy principle can act as a heuristic guide to finding multilevel mechanistic explanations.