Thinking avant la lettre: A Review of 4E Cognition.
Evolutionary studies in imaginative culture January 1, 2020 DOI: 10.26613/esic/4.1.172 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThe 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. Although this view is currently popular, it has received relatively few critical assessments. This article reviews the 4E paradigm by reflecting on two recent collections, evaluating its strengths and weaknesses.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | 4e Action Cognition Culture Embodiment |
| Citations | 26 |
| Key finding | The 4E approach to cognition has received relatively few critical evaluations, and this article assesses its strengths and weaknesses by reflecting on two recent collections. |
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.