This paper centers around the notion that internal, mental representations are grounded in structural similarity, i.e., that they are so-called S-representations. We show how S-representations may be causally relevant and argue that they are distinct from mere detectors. First, using the neomechanist theory of explanation and the interventionist account of causal relevance, we provide a precise interpretation of the claim that in S-representations, structural similarity serves as a “fuel of success”, i.e., a relation that is exploitable for the representation using system. Then, we discuss crucial differences between S-representations and indicators or detectors, showing that—contrary to claims made in the literature—there is an important theoretical distinction to be drawn between the two.

中文翻译：

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结构表示：因果相关且与检测器不同

本文的中心思想是内部的心理表征基于结构相似性，即它们是所谓的 S 表征。我们展示了 S 表示如何可能是因果相关的，并认为它们与单纯的检测器不同。首先，使用新机械论的解释理论和因果相关性的干预主义解释，我们提供了对以下主张的精确解释，即在 S 表示中，结构相似性充当“成功的燃料”，即，一种可用于使用系统表示。然后，我们讨论 S 表示与指标或检测器之间的关键区别，表明与文献中的主张相反，两者之间存在重要的理论区别。