A commentary argues that an embodied cognitive neuroscience approach, which integrates embodied cognition with mechanistic explanation, can resolve internal tensions within 4E cognition (embodied, embedded, enactive, extended). The approach avoids neuroscientific reductionism and complete psychological autonomy, offering benefits like more robust theories and ontologies.
Study at a glance
Design
commentary
Key finding
An embodied cognitive neuroscience approach can resolve internal tensions within 4E cognition.
Abstract
Mougenot and Matheson outline a theoretical approach to cognitive neuroscience that combines the commitments of embodied cognition with a mechanistic approach to scientific explanation. They argue that this theoretical approach provides several general benefits, including enabling researchers to develop more robust theories and ontologies that do not require either neuroscientific reductionism or the complete autonomy of psychology from neuroscience. In this commentary, I argue that the sort of embodied cognitive neuroscience that they envision has a more specific benefit: it has the potential to help resolve internal tensions within 4E cognition.