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Lecturer(s)
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Course content
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Traditional cognitive science views the mind as a device for symbol manipulation, where cognition is seen as rule-based information processing tied to sensory inputs and action-based outputs. In contrast to this "skull-bound" and "internal" computation, this course will explore "4EA" embodied cognition theories, which argue that cognition is: - Embodied: Dependent on sensorimotor interactions with the world, varying based on the organism's bodily structure. - Embedded: Situated within natural, social, and cultural environments. - Enacted: Realized in real-time through concrete actions. - Extended: Extending beyond the individual's physical body. - Affective: Not solely propositional or intellectual but also shaped by emotions. We will clarify different interpretations of "embodiment," such as viewing it as the "ground" of cognition, a complex of physical causes influencing the mind, a constraint, distributor, or regulator of cognition, among other perspectives. The course will articulate the differences and overlaps between "weak" and "radical" embodied cognition theories, depending on how much they retain or reject the ideas of representation and computation. Content-wise, the course will cover two main groups of topics: perception, action, and intersubjective relations on one hand, and on the other, experiences that seem "representation hungry" (as termed by A. Clark), such as language use, concept formation, and reasoning. Students will be introduced to key figures in embodied cognition research (e.g., A. Clark, S. Gallagher, G. Lakoff, A. Noë, E. Thompson, F. Varela) and its historical roots, particularly its connections with phenomenology (Husserl's lived body, Merleau-Ponty's corporeal intentionality, Heidegger's ready-to-hand, Gibson's affordances). The course will draw on empirical research from disciplines beyond philosophy, including psychology, linguistics, artificial intelligence, robotics, biology, and neuroscience.
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Learning activities and teaching methods
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Monologic Lecture(Interpretation, Training), Dialogic Lecture (Discussion, Dialog, Brainstorming), Work with Text (with Book, Textbook)
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Learning outcomes
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This course introduces current theories of embodied cognition. Unlike traditional cognitive science, which emphasizes representation and computation, this course explores a research program that views real-time sensorimotor interactions with biological, social, and cultural environments as essential to cognition. Specifically, the course focuses on theories that conceptualize cognition as an Embodied, Embedded, Extended, Enactive, and Affective process ("4EA").
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Prerequisites
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This is an introductory course; no prior knowledge of cognitive science is required. The course will be conducted in English. Students will be required to read literature in English and complete short writing assignments. All course materials will be provided at the beginning of the course and throughout the semester as needed.
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Assessment methods and criteria
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Oral exam, Student performance
Students are expected to read excerpts from primary texts before each lesson, actively participate in discussions, and complete several short writing assignments. Students are expected to be curious about empirical research on cognition-related issues and to strive to interpret this research philosophically.
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Recommended literature
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Gallagher, S., Zahavi, D. (2013). The Phenomenological Mind. Routledge.
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Gallagher, Shaun. (2022). Phenomenology. London.
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Merleau-Ponty, Maurice. (1942). La structure du comportement. Paris.
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Merleau-Ponty, Maurice. (1963). The Structure of Behaviour. Boston.
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Thompson, Evan. (2010). Mind in Life: Biology, Phenomenology, and the Sciences of Mind. Cambridge.
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Varela, F., Thompson, E. & Rosch, E. (1993). The embodied mind: Cognitive science and human experience. Cambridge.
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