Embodied and Enactive Approaches to Cognition
October 31, 2023 DOI: 10.1017/9781009209793
Summary
Contemporary theories of embodied cognition, known as the '4Es' (embodied, embedded, extended and enactive cognition), offer diverse approaches to understanding the mind, its relation to the brain, perception, mental representation, and social cognition. The text contrasts these views with classic cognitivism, discusses criticisms, and explores integrating enactive approaches with other theories through predictive processing and the free energy principle. It concludes with practical applications of embodied cognition.
Study at a glance
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Embodied and enactive cognition theories provide a contrasting framework to classic cognitivism, with potential for integration through predictive processing and the free energy principle. |
Abstract
This Element discusses contemporary theories of embodied cognition, including what has been termed the '4Es' (embodied, embedded, extended and enactive cognition). It examines diverse approaches to questions about the nature of the mind, the mind's relation to the brain, perceptual experience, mental representation, sense making, the role of the environment, and social cognition, and it considers the strengths and weaknesses of the theories in question. It contrasts embodied and enactive views with classic cognitivism, and discusses major criticisms and their possible resolutions. This element also provides a strong focus on enactive theory and the prospects for integrating enactive approaches with other embodied and extended theories, mediated through recent developments in predictive processing and the free energy principle. It concludes with a brief discussion of the practical applications of embodied cognition. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.