Thinking avant la lettre: A Review of 4E Cognition.
Evolutionary studies in imaginative culture January 1, 2020 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.26613/esic/4.1.172 via PubMed
Summary
The 4E approach to cognition claims that thinking is not confined to the brain but is also embodied, embedded, enacted, or extended through processes and structures outside the skull. Despite its popularity, the paradigm has received limited critical scrutiny. This article evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of 4E cognition by reflecting on two recent collections of work on the topic.
Study at a glance
| Design | review |
|---|---|
| Key finding | The 4E cognition paradigm has strengths and weaknesses that are assessed through a review of two recent collections. |
Abstract
The "4E" approach to cognition argues that cognition does not occur solely in the head, but is also embodied, embedded, enacted, or extended by way of extra-cranial processes and structures. Though very much in vogue, 4E cognition has received relatively few critical evaluations. By reflecting on two recent collections, this article reviews the 4E paradigm with a view to assessing its strengths and weaknesses.