The Body in Mind: Understanding Cognitive ProcessesIn this book, Mark Rowlands challenges the Cartesian view of the mind as a self-contained monadic entity, and offers in its place a radical externalist or environmentalist model of cognitive processes. Drawing on both evolutionary theory and a detailed examination of the processes involved in perception, memory, thought and language use, Rowlands argues that cognition is, in part, a process whereby creatures manipulate and exploit relevant objects in their environment. This innovative book provides a foundation for an unorthodox but increasingly popular view of the nature of cognition. |
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accomplish accounts of representation adopted algorithmic proper function argue attributions of content bacterium behaviour biological capacity ceteris paribus chapter cognitive processes cognitive task cognizing organisms concept connectionism connectionist connectionist systems content attribution crucial Descartes detect developed differential fitness distinction energy environmental structures environmentalist episodic memory epistemological epistemological claim essentially evolutionary cost evolved example exaptations external information external information-bearing structures fact Firstly Fodor grammatical HORSE indicational language information processing inside the skin instantiated intensionality internal mechanisms internal processes internalist picture involved linguistic logical magnetosome manipulative strategy mental representations Millikan mind nature neo-Kantian nomically dependent objects ontological claim optic array organismic proper function pattern performance costs philosophical externalism possess problem of indeterminacy procedural knowledge procedural memory properties propositional attitudes propositional knowledge psychotectonics reason relevant requires semantic memory sense sort specific struc super beaver syntactic teleological theory tion tokens types understand visual perception