Abstract
According to the thesis of the extended mind, at least some cognitive processes extend into the cognizing subject's environment in the sense that they are composed of processes of manipulation, exploitation, and transformation performed by that subject on suitable environmental structures. In contrast, according to the thesis of the embedded mind, the manipulation, exploitation, and transformation of information-bearing structures provides a useful scaffolding which facilitates cognitive processes but does not, even in part, constitute them. The two theses are distinct but often confused. The extended mind has attracted three ostensibly distinct kinds of objection, all of which on further analysis reduce to the idea that the arguments for the extended mind in fact only establish the thesis of the embedded mind. This chapter argues that these three objections can all be resolved by the provision of an adequate and properly motivated criterion of the cognitive.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Social Brain, Distributed Mind |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780191734724, 9780197264522 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 31 2012 |
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Keywords
- Cognitive processes
- Embedded mind
- Exploitation
- Extended mind
- Manipulation
- Transformation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychology(all)
Cite this
What is Cognition? Extended Cognition and the Criterion of the Cognitive. / Rowlands, Mark.
Social Brain, Distributed Mind. Oxford University Press, 2012.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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TY - CHAP
T1 - What is Cognition? Extended Cognition and the Criterion of the Cognitive
AU - Rowlands, Mark
PY - 2012/1/31
Y1 - 2012/1/31
N2 - According to the thesis of the extended mind, at least some cognitive processes extend into the cognizing subject's environment in the sense that they are composed of processes of manipulation, exploitation, and transformation performed by that subject on suitable environmental structures. In contrast, according to the thesis of the embedded mind, the manipulation, exploitation, and transformation of information-bearing structures provides a useful scaffolding which facilitates cognitive processes but does not, even in part, constitute them. The two theses are distinct but often confused. The extended mind has attracted three ostensibly distinct kinds of objection, all of which on further analysis reduce to the idea that the arguments for the extended mind in fact only establish the thesis of the embedded mind. This chapter argues that these three objections can all be resolved by the provision of an adequate and properly motivated criterion of the cognitive.
AB - According to the thesis of the extended mind, at least some cognitive processes extend into the cognizing subject's environment in the sense that they are composed of processes of manipulation, exploitation, and transformation performed by that subject on suitable environmental structures. In contrast, according to the thesis of the embedded mind, the manipulation, exploitation, and transformation of information-bearing structures provides a useful scaffolding which facilitates cognitive processes but does not, even in part, constitute them. The two theses are distinct but often confused. The extended mind has attracted three ostensibly distinct kinds of objection, all of which on further analysis reduce to the idea that the arguments for the extended mind in fact only establish the thesis of the embedded mind. This chapter argues that these three objections can all be resolved by the provision of an adequate and properly motivated criterion of the cognitive.
KW - Cognitive processes
KW - Embedded mind
KW - Exploitation
KW - Extended mind
KW - Manipulation
KW - Transformation
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U2 - 10.5871/bacad/9780197264522.003.0016
DO - 10.5871/bacad/9780197264522.003.0016
M3 - Chapter
AN - SCOPUS:84925426400
SN - 9780191734724
SN - 9780197264522
BT - Social Brain, Distributed Mind
PB - Oxford University Press
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