There is much disagreement about how extensive a role theoretical mindreading, behavior-reading, and simulation each have and need to have in our knowing and understanding other minds, and how each method is implemented in the brain, but less discussion of the epistemological question what it is about the products of these methods that makes them count as knowledge or understanding. This question has become especially salient recently as some have the intuition that mirror neurons can bring understanding of another’s action despite involving no higher-order processing, whereas most epistemologists writing about understanding think that it requires reflective access to one’s grounds, which is closer to the intuitions of other commenters on mirror neurons. I offer a definition of what it is that makes something understanding that is compelling independently of the context of cognition of other minds, and use it to show two things: 1) that theoretical mind-reading and simulation bring understanding in virtue of the same epistemic feature, and 2) why the kind of motor representation without propositional attitudes that is done by mirror neurons is sufficient for action understanding. I further suggest that more attention should be paid to the potential disadvantages of a simulative method of knowing. Though it can be more efficient in some cases, it can also bring vulnerability, wear and tear on one’s personal equipment, and unintended mimicry.

中文翻译：

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模拟和理解其他思想

关于理论读心术、行为阅读和模拟在我们了解和理解其他心智中各自具有和需要具有的广泛作用，以及每种方法如何在大脑中实施，存在很多分歧，但较少讨论认识论问题是什么正是这些方法的产物使它们被视为知识或理解。这个问题最近变得特别突出，因为有些人直觉镜像神经元可以理解另一个人的行为，尽管不涉及更高阶的处理，而大多数关于理解的认识论者认为它需要反思性地访问一个人的理由，这更接近于其他评论者对镜像神经元的直觉。我提供了一个定义，它是什么使某些理解独立于其他思想的认知背景而引人注目，并用它来表明两件事：1）理论读心术和模拟凭借相同的认知带来理解特征，以​​及 2）为什么镜像神经元完成的那种没有命题态度的运动表征足以理解动作。我进一步建议，应该更多地关注模拟认识方法的潜在缺点。尽管在某些情况下它可以更有效，但它也可能带来脆弱性、个人设备的磨损和意外模仿。1) 理论读心术和模拟凭借相同的认知特征带来理解，以及 2) 为什么镜像神经元完成的那种没有命题态度的运动表征足以理解动作。我进一步建议，应该更多地关注模拟认识方法的潜在缺点。尽管在某些情况下它可以更有效，但它也可能带来脆弱性、个人设备的磨损和意外模仿。1) 理论读心术和模拟凭借相同的认知特征带来理解，以及 2) 为什么镜像神经元完成的那种没有命题态度的运动表征足以理解动作。我进一步建议，应该更多地关注模拟认识方法的潜在缺点。尽管在某些情况下它可以更有效，但它也可能带来脆弱性、个人设备的磨损和意外模仿。