Discussion:
Hopefield Networks Learning Systems
Among the prominent types of neural networks studied by cognitive scientists, Hopfield networks most closely model the high-degree of interconnectedness in neurons of the human cortex. The papers by McClellan et al. (1995) and Maurer (2005) discuss learning systems in the human brain-mind system and the role of Hopfield networks as models for actual human learning including sequence of items learned. This resonates with Chomsky's emphasis on the role of syntax and word sequence in language learning.
Argue for or against the notion that Hopfield networks not only share characteristics of learning in the brain-mind system but also that they are useful analytic tools.