Enactivism and Normativity The Case of Aesthetic Gestures
JoLMA December 9, 2020 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.30687/jolma/2723-9640/2020/02/002
Summary
Enactivist approaches to cognition face the challenge of explaining normativity without reducing it to mere physical processes. This article reviews several proposed solutions, including agent-environment dynamics and participatory sense-making. It argues that aesthetic gestures of appreciation or disapproval offer clear examples of enacted normativity. The ideas of Wittgenstein and Dewey are presented as productive resources for developing an enactive account of normativity.
Study at a glance
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Aesthetic gestures of appreciation and disapproval are promising examples of enacted normativity that can be developed using the ideas of Wittgenstein and Dewey. |
Abstract
Enactivist approaches claim that cognition arises through a dynamic interaction between an acting organism and its environment. An ongoing challenge for these approaches is the problem of accounting for normativity while avoiding overly reductionist outcomes. This article examines a few proposed solutions, including agent-environment dynamics, participatory sense-making, radical enactivism, the skilful intentionality framework, and enactivist cultural psychology. It argues that good examples of enacted normativity are gestures of appreciation/disapproval performed in the aesthetic domain. Both Wittgenstein and Dewey explore this issue and their ideas could be productively worked upon in an enactive account.