The new approach in cognitive science known as 4E cognition (embodied, embedded, enactive, extended) may revive certain Aristotelian concepts, particularly his notion of nature as an inner impulse to movement that is neither fully corporeal nor incorporeal, and his distinction between active and passive intellect. By analyzing Aristotle's definitions in Physics, On the Parts of Animals, and On the Soul, the author argues that the mind-body problem central to explaining consciousness can be partially eluded or transcended through a subtle account of causation. Recent neuroscience findings on consciousness could be better understood within a 4E cognition paradigm inspired by these Aristotelian views.
Epistemic structural realism (ESR) offers a feasible philosophical background for the interdisciplinary study of consciousness and its associated neurophysiological phenomena in neuroscience and cognitive science, while also accounting for the mathematical structures involved. Applying ESR principles to neurophysiological phenomena related to conscious free choice and alterations of consciousness (AOCs) from pathologies like epilepsy adds explanatory value. This approach aligns with Quine's idea that philosophy is continuous with science. ESR can resonate with scientific models such as the global neuronal workspace model and integrated information theory. Unlike ontic structural realism, ESR is more suitable because it avoids the ontological question of what consciousness is and focuses instead on what can be known about it.