Moving Beyond Computational Cognitivism: Understanding Intentionality, Intersubjectivity and Ecology of Mind

Abstract

The emergence of the Cognitive Sciences, in the middle of the 20th Century, was initially based on an abstract model of the mind: the computer metaphor. The human mind was understood in analogy to the digital computer, as a rule-based, symbol processor. As a consequence, the human being was envisioned as logically-rationally guided, radically disembodied and isolated from culture. Over the last few decades, several disciplines, such as Biology, Mathematics, Philosophy, Psychology and Neuroscience, have begun to address the study of intentionality, intersubjectivity and natural cognition. Searching for a better understanding of these complex issues, a number of approaches have been developed with the promise of capturing the specific qualities of human cognition, radically omitted from a computationalist view of mind. Nevertheless, since these research programs are rather recent, concrete methodological designs and empirical approaches in the form of experimentally testable hypotheses are still scarce. This special issue brings together several perspectives in order to propose alternative research approaches in the topics of Intentionality, Intersubjectivity and Ecology of Mind. We believe it is necessary to discuss and advance towards explicit empirical frames in the form of actual experiments, specific predictions and formal models. The essays presented here constitute an attempt to move in this direction, with the specific aim of reconsidering the study of some forgotten properties of brain and mind.

The use of language to express thermal sensation suggests heat acclimatization by Indonesian people

“…with various definitions. The present study defines intersubjectivity as a commonly owned (shared) understanding on subjectivity among individuals, according to Ibáñez and Cosmelli (2008). The present study successfully disclosed that linguistic heat acclimatization is accomplished via a process of intersubjectivity, with an empirically testable hypothesis.…”

Contextual Cognition

“…Specifically, we realized we could at least break away from isolationist approaches to cognitive functions by exploring cross-domain interactions. Building on this premise, we have devoted most of our recent research efforts to: (i) assessing interactions among social-cognition skills in relation to more general cognitive functions Ibáñez and Cosmelli 2008;Barutta et al 2010); (ii) exploring the reciprocal dynamics between language and manual actions (Ibáñez et al 2013;García and Ibáñez 2016); (iii) tackling specific cognitive processes via complementary multidimensional neuroscientific techniques (García-Cordero et al 2016;Melloni et al 2016); and, more incipiently, (iv) conducting automated analyses of spontaneous verbal behavior in noncontrolled settings .…”

Neurodynamics of Mind: The Arrow Illusion of Conscious Intentionality as Downward Causation

“…Many authors share the belief that explanations in terms of downward causation can explain intentionality, conscious subjectivity or meaning (Barham 1996;Edelman 2004;Freeman 1999Freeman , 2000Freeman , 2003Freeman , 2004Haken 2003;Harter and Kozma 2005;Ibáñez 2007a, b;Ibáñez and Cosmelli 2008;Juarrero 1999;Kelso 1995Kelso , 2002Kelso , 2003Orsucci 2002;Petitot 1995;Tschacher and Dauwalder 2003;Thelen 1995;Thompson and Varela 2001;van Orden and Holden 2002). Promisingly, the explanation based on downward causation may solve the mind-body issue.…”