Extended Cognitive System and Epistemic Subject

The concept of an extended cognitive system is central to contemporary studies of cognition. In the paper I analyze the place of the epistemic subject within the extended cognitive system. Is it extended as well? In answering this question I focus on the differences between the first and the second...

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Main Author: Trybulec Barbara
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sciendo 2015-03-01
Series:Studies in Logic, Grammar and Rhetoric
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1515/slgr-2015-0006
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author Trybulec Barbara
author_facet Trybulec Barbara
author_sort Trybulec Barbara
collection DOAJ
description The concept of an extended cognitive system is central to contemporary studies of cognition. In the paper I analyze the place of the epistemic subject within the extended cognitive system. Is it extended as well? In answering this question I focus on the differences between the first and the second wave of arguments for the extended mind thesis. I argue that the position of Cognitive Integration represented by Richard Menary is much more intuitive and fruitful in analyses of cognition and knowledge than the early argument formulated by Andy Clark and David Chalmers. Cognitive Integration is compatible with virtue epistemology of John Greco’s agent reliabilism. The epistemic subject is constituted by its cognitive character composed of an integrated set of cognitive abilities and processes. Some of these processes are extended, they are a manipulation of external informational structures and, as such, they constitute epistemic practices. Epistemic practices are normative; to conduct them correctly the epistemic subject needs to obey epistemic norms embedded in the cultural context. The epistemic subject is not extended because of the casual coupling with external informational artifacts which extend his mind from inside the head and into the world. Rather, cognitive practices constitute the subject’s mind, they transform his cognitive abilities, and this is what makes the mind and epistemic subject “extended”.
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spelling doaj.art-46df279941bb4995a5d7f8fe054d86392022-12-21T19:21:56ZengSciendoStudies in Logic, Grammar and Rhetoric0860-150X2199-60592015-03-0140111112810.1515/slgr-2015-0006slgr-2015-0006Extended Cognitive System and Epistemic SubjectTrybulec Barbara0Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in LublinThe concept of an extended cognitive system is central to contemporary studies of cognition. In the paper I analyze the place of the epistemic subject within the extended cognitive system. Is it extended as well? In answering this question I focus on the differences between the first and the second wave of arguments for the extended mind thesis. I argue that the position of Cognitive Integration represented by Richard Menary is much more intuitive and fruitful in analyses of cognition and knowledge than the early argument formulated by Andy Clark and David Chalmers. Cognitive Integration is compatible with virtue epistemology of John Greco’s agent reliabilism. The epistemic subject is constituted by its cognitive character composed of an integrated set of cognitive abilities and processes. Some of these processes are extended, they are a manipulation of external informational structures and, as such, they constitute epistemic practices. Epistemic practices are normative; to conduct them correctly the epistemic subject needs to obey epistemic norms embedded in the cultural context. The epistemic subject is not extended because of the casual coupling with external informational artifacts which extend his mind from inside the head and into the world. Rather, cognitive practices constitute the subject’s mind, they transform his cognitive abilities, and this is what makes the mind and epistemic subject “extended”.https://doi.org/10.1515/slgr-2015-0006extended mindcognitive systemepistemic justificationepistemic subjectknowledgebelief
spellingShingle Trybulec Barbara
Extended Cognitive System and Epistemic Subject
Studies in Logic, Grammar and Rhetoric
extended mind
cognitive system
epistemic justification
epistemic subject
knowledge
belief
title Extended Cognitive System and Epistemic Subject
title_full Extended Cognitive System and Epistemic Subject
title_fullStr Extended Cognitive System and Epistemic Subject
title_full_unstemmed Extended Cognitive System and Epistemic Subject
title_short Extended Cognitive System and Epistemic Subject
title_sort extended cognitive system and epistemic subject
topic extended mind
cognitive system
epistemic justification
epistemic subject
knowledge
belief
url https://doi.org/10.1515/slgr-2015-0006
work_keys_str_mv AT trybulecbarbara extendedcognitivesystemandepistemicsubject