Cognitive sciences have a history of almost a century. The reflection on the nature of intelligence born in the cybernetic field has won the interest of all human and life sciences.This process has certainly represented an enrichment and an important evolution. However, it was not painless. In fact, originally the cognitive sciences have proved convinced that the activity of the mind can be entirely simulated by algorithmic procedures. After all, there is no doubt that this idea survives in neuroscience, neuropsychology and in much philosophy of the mind. For their part, the neurosciences has become extremely cerebrocentric in recent decades. This means that they study the brain in computational terms and completely overlook the role of the body. Yet the body is the protagonist of all the abilities of human beings, animals and machines. On the contrary, the complex set of philosophies recognized today under the name of Embodied Cognition believes that understanding the brain means taking into account the fact that it is "placed" in the entire living organism. It is, in fact, the great lesson of contemporary evolutionism. It taught us that adaptation to natural selection concerns organisms, individuals, not their structures considered in isolation. Knowing the brain therefore means studying its relationships with the whole set of structures and functions that characterized the fixation of a species. To put it with Spinoza (1677), anyone who does science cannot assume the existence of two substances. If we apply this indication to cognitive sciences, we understand that they are now able to establish themselves as a universal epistemological method and sciences without borders.
Cognitive Sciences as a Naturalistic Model of Interdisciplinary Approaches
D. Chirico'
;
2022-01-01
Abstract
Cognitive sciences have a history of almost a century. The reflection on the nature of intelligence born in the cybernetic field has won the interest of all human and life sciences.This process has certainly represented an enrichment and an important evolution. However, it was not painless. In fact, originally the cognitive sciences have proved convinced that the activity of the mind can be entirely simulated by algorithmic procedures. After all, there is no doubt that this idea survives in neuroscience, neuropsychology and in much philosophy of the mind. For their part, the neurosciences has become extremely cerebrocentric in recent decades. This means that they study the brain in computational terms and completely overlook the role of the body. Yet the body is the protagonist of all the abilities of human beings, animals and machines. On the contrary, the complex set of philosophies recognized today under the name of Embodied Cognition believes that understanding the brain means taking into account the fact that it is "placed" in the entire living organism. It is, in fact, the great lesson of contemporary evolutionism. It taught us that adaptation to natural selection concerns organisms, individuals, not their structures considered in isolation. Knowing the brain therefore means studying its relationships with the whole set of structures and functions that characterized the fixation of a species. To put it with Spinoza (1677), anyone who does science cannot assume the existence of two substances. If we apply this indication to cognitive sciences, we understand that they are now able to establish themselves as a universal epistemological method and sciences without borders.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
