Thinking through other minds: A variational approach to cognition and culture

Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Journal Year: 2019, Volume and Issue: 43

Published: May 30, 2019

Abstract The processes underwriting the acquisition of culture remain unclear. How are shared habits, norms, and expectations learned maintained with precision reliability across large-scale sociocultural ensembles? Is there a unifying account mechanisms involved in culture? Notions such as “shared expectations,” “selective patterning attention behaviour,” “cultural evolution,” inheritance,” “implicit learning” main candidates to underpin cognition culture; however, their interactions require greater specification clarification. In this article, we integrate these using variational (free-energy) approach human theoretical neuroscience. We describe construction by humans social niches that afford epistemic resources called cultural affordances. argue agents learn through immersive participation patterned practices selectively pattern behaviour. call process “thinking other minds” (TTOM) – effect, inferring agents’ about world how behave context. for humans, information from people's constitutes primary domain statistical regularities leverage predict organize integrative model offer has implications can advance theories cognition, enculturation, adaptation, psychopathology. Crucially, formal (variational) treatment seeks resolve key debates current cognitive science, distinction between internalist externalist accounts theory mind abilities more fundamental dynamical representational enactivism.

Language: Английский

---

Reconceiving representation-hungry cognition: an ecological-enactive proposal

Adaptive Behavior, Journal Year: 2018, Volume and Issue: 26(4), P. 147 - 163

Published: May 23, 2018

Enactive approaches to cognitive science aim explain human processes across the board without making any appeal internal, content-carrying representational states. A challenge such a research programme in that immediately arises is how cognition so-called 'representation-hungry' domains. Examples of representation-hungry domains include imagination, memory, planning and language use which agent engaged thinking about something may be absent, possible or abstract. The someone could think things are not concretely present their environment other than by means an internal mental representation. We call this 'Representation-Hungry Challenge' (RHC). we take up article show hunger for representations possibly satisfied construction manipulation meet developing theoretical framework integrates key ideas drawn from enactive ecological psychology. One our main aims thus theories as non-representational non-computational might work together. From science, borrow thesis strict continuity lower higher cognition. develop argue against sharp conceptual distinction between based on representation-hunger. psychology, draw upon earlier rich landscape affordances. propose terms temporally extended activities skilfully coordinates richly structured In framework, putative cases explained abilities coordinate nested interrelated socio-material practices. RHC has often figured arguments limitations science. showcase resources available integrated ecological-enactive approach addressing type sceptical challenge.

Language: Английский

---

Enactive Psychiatry

Published: Feb. 18, 2020

Psychiatry is enormously complex. One of its main difficulties to articulate the relationship between wide assortment factors that may cause or contribute psychiatric disorders. Such range from traumatic experiences dysfunctional neurotransmitters, existential worries, economic deprivation, social exclusion and genetic bad luck. The relevant how they interact can differ not only diagnoses but also individuals with same diagnosis. How should we understand navigate such complexity? Enactive presents an integrative account many phenomena at play in development persistence disorders by drawing on insights enactivism, a theory embodied cognition. From enactive perspective mind relation both body world, achieve new understanding nature causality involved their treatment, thereby resolving psychiatry's integration problem.

Language: Английский

---

Decision-Making From the Animal Perspective: Bridging Ecology and Subjective Cognition

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2019, Volume and Issue: 7

Published: May 14, 2019

To succeed organisms must trade priority across various needs, such as growth, survival, and reproduction. In naturally complex environments this incurs high computational costs. Models exist for several types of decisions, e.g. optimal foraging or life history theory. However, most models ignore proximate complexities infer simple rules specific to each context. They try deduce what the organism do, but do not provide a mechanistic explanation how it implements decisions. We posit that underlying cognitive machinery cannot be ignored. From point view animal, fundamental problems are best contexts choose which stimuli require response achieve goal (e.g., homeostasis, reproduction). This requires enabling make predictions about future behave autonomously. Our simulation framework includes three essential aspects: (a) focus on autonomous individual, (b) need limit integrate information from environment, (c) importance goal-directed rather than purely stimulus-driven behavioral control. The resulting cognition, decision-making, behavior in whole phenotype may include genome, physiology, hormonal system, perception, emotions, motivation cognition. conclude state is global organismic both physiology animal's subjective "mind". approach provides an avenue evolutionary understanding phenomena self-awareness evolved mechanisms adaptive decision-making natural environments.

Language: Английский

---

Bridging the explanatory gaps: What can we learn from a biological agency perspective?

BioEssays, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 44(1)

Published: Nov. 7, 2021

We begin this article by delineating the explanatory gaps left prevailing gene-focused approaches in our understanding of phenotype determination, inheritance, and origin novel traits. aim not to diminish value these but highlight where their implementation, despite best efforts, has encountered persistent limitations. then discuss how each can be addressed expanding research foci take into account biological agency-the capacity living systems at various levels participate own development, maintenance, function regulating structures activities response conditions they encounter. Here we define formally what agency agents are and-just as importantly-what not, emphasizing that is an empirical property connoting neither intention nor consciousness. Lastly, incorporating helps bridge conventional approaches, scientific fields which implicit already proving valuable, assess opportunities challenges more systematically programs.

Language: Английский

---

Naturalizing relevance realization: why agency and cognition are fundamentally not computational

Frontiers in Psychology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 15

Published: June 25, 2024

The way organismic agents come to know the world, and algorithms solve problems, are fundamentally different. most sensible course of action for an organism does not simply follow from logical rules inference. Before it can even use such rules, must tackle problem relevance. It turn ill-defined problems into well-defined ones, semantics syntax. This ability realize relevance is present in all organisms, bacteria humans. lies at root agency, cognition, consciousness, arising particular autopoietic, anticipatory, adaptive organization living beings. In this article, we show that process realization beyond formalization. cannot be captured completely by algorithmic approaches. implies agency (and hence cognition as well consciousness) heart computational nature. Instead, how realized emergent triadic dialectic (a trialectic), which manifests a metabolic ecological-evolutionary co-constructive dynamic. results meliorative enables agent continuously keep grip on its arena, reality. To alive means make sense one’s world. kind embodied ecological rationality fundamental aspect life, key characteristic sets apart non-living matter.

Language: Английский

---

Free Energy and the Self: An Ecological–Enactive Interpretation

Topoi, Journal Year: 2018, Volume and Issue: 39(3), P. 559 - 574

Published: April 12, 2018

According to the free energy principle all living systems aim minimise in their sensory exchanges with environment. Processes of minimisation are thus ubiquitous biological world. Indeed it has been argued that even plants engage minimisation. Not things however feel alive. How then did feeling being alive get started? In line arguments phenomenologists, I will claim every must be felt by someone. It have mineness built into if is a particular way. The question take up this paper asks how might arisen out processes minimisation, given many keep themselves lack mineness. hypothesis develop life an organism can seen as inferential process. Every system embodies probability distribution conditioned on model sensory, physiological, and morphological states highly probably leads niche inhabits. argue for ecological enactive interpretation energy. show once reaches certain level complexity emerges intrinsic part process itself.

Language: Английский

---

Promises and limits of an agency perspective in evolutionary developmental biology

Evolution & Development, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 25(6), P. 371 - 392

Published: April 10, 2023

An agent-based perspective in the study of complex systems is well established diverse disciplines, yet only beginning to be applied evolutionary developmental biology. In this essay, we begin by defining agency and associated terminology formally. We then explore assumptions predictions an perspective, apply these select processes key concept areas relevant practitioners biology, consider potential epistemic roles that might play evo devo. Throughout, discuss evidence supportive agential dynamics biological devo where thinking may enrich explanatory reach research efforts

Language: Английский

---

A classification of teleology in biology & cosmology

Synthese, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 205(4)

Published: April 3, 2025

Language: Английский

---

The Fourth Perspective: Evolution and Organismal Agency

History, philosophy and theory of the life sciences, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 159 - 186

Published: Nov. 10, 2023

Language: Английский

---