Misrepresentations

The concept of representations, and particularly internal representations, can be controversial in Cognitive Science and AI. It is suggested here that much time-wasting confusion could be avoided if participants in such controversies came to recognize the variety of different senses, often incompatible, in which such terms are used. A hypothesis is presented as to why there is so much reluctance to recognize this. Once such fruitless controversies are swept aside through linguistic hygiene, there remain interesting real problems, which are eminently appropriate for being tackled by an Artificial Life methodology.