# Symbols and Manipulation

Canonical page: https://dominiklukes.net/writing/symbols-and-manipulation

The essay argues that human and language-model cognition operates through meaning-rich schemas rather than the formal symbol manipulation performed by computers.

Blog post · Schemas & Propositions · 8 September 2025

## Where it lives

- [Read it on Schemas & Propositions (schemasandpropositions.substack.com)](https://schemasandpropositions.substack.com/p/symbols-and-manipulation)

## About this item

- Type: Blog post
- Published: 8 September 2025
- Published in: Schemas & Propositions
- Language: English

Topics: symbol-manipulation, symbolic-ai, llm-semantics, ai-history.

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Section: [Writing](https://dominiklukes.net/writing)