Thinking avant la lettre: A Review of 4E Cognition
Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture December 1, 2020 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.26613/esic.4.1.172
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, this paradigm has received little critical scrutiny. By examining two recent collections of work, this article evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the 4E framework.
Study at a glance
| Design | review |
|---|---|
| Key finding | The 4E paradigm has strengths and weaknesses that are assessed by reflecting on two recent collections. |
Abstract
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.