Carlos Zednik: Mental Mechanisms and the Extended Mind

I posted a short TED Talk video of David Chalmers the other day - he is the co-founder, with Andy Clark, of the extended mind theory of consciousness and mind. So here is a more recent paper in which Zednik responds to an argument by Rupert that the extended mind model undermines cognitive science.

At some point, all the various models need to send their best representatives to sit down and come to terms with the reality that they are all partially right.

I found this at Ken Aizawa's The Bounds of Cognition blog (philosophy and psychology related to the hypothesis of extended cognition) - he has a book by the same name

Carlos Zednik: Mental Mechanisms and the Extended Mind

Carlos Zednik

Indiana University Cognitive Science Program

June 2010

Abstract:

Robert Rupert (2004) challenges the Extended Mind Hypothesis on the grounds that it appears to undermine the viability and productivity of cognitive science. In this paper, I respond to Rupert’s challenge by questioning his construal of cognitive scientific practice. Although the Extended Mind Hypothesis may in fact threaten the viability of a cognitive science that seeks the discovery of law‐like generalizations, cognitive scientists typically seek to describe the mechanisms that underlie such generalizations. By acknowledging the role of mechanistic explanation in contemporary cognitive scientific practice, I argue that the Extended Mind Hypothesis presents no threat to our current and future understanding of mind and cognition.

Link here.

Tags: Carlos Zednik, Mental Mechanisms, Extended Mind, Robert Rupert, Extended Mind Hypothesis, The Bounds of Cognition, Philosophy, mind, consciousness, technology, cognitive science